NHTI carpentry students volunteering. Credit: NHTI / Courtesy

Carpentry students at NHTI-Concordโ€™s Community College have been honing their construction skills through community projects. This fall, the class volunteered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Habitat for Humanity.

โ€œOur carpentry apprenticeship program has always required a monthly field trip, but these excursions were typically a visit to a construction site or business to learn about their operations,โ€ said Kathy Taylor, director of workforce education at NHTI. โ€œThis fallโ€™s class took a hands-on approach.โ€

In September, the class participated in Sleep in Heavenly Peace, building beds for children who do not have them.

For October, they worked on a Habitat for Humanity project in Allenstown. They demolished a rotting deck and replaced it with a new landing at the home’s entrance. Students also replaced the windows in a trailer owned by an elderly woman who recently lost her husband.

Through these field trips, students are learning how to work with different personalities, collaborate with volunteers โ€” including people of varying skill levels โ€” and see real-world projects come together from start to finish.

The class is eager to continue these projects and has already planned a November trip with Habitat for Humanity to reframe and remodel a trailer bathroom in Loudon.

NHTI offers 1,000+ workforce education programs, including a hands-on carpentry apprenticeship program. Learn more about these offerings atย nhti.edu/workforce.