Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chancellor Cheryl Hyman announced today that City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) is partnering with the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters (CRCC) to pave the way for accredited carpenters to earn an Associate Degree, and prepare more them with the skills to seize the jobs of today and tomorrow.

“The partnership between City Colleges of Chicago and the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters will allow carpenters to more easily earn an Associate Degree, opening doors to construction management opportunities,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Working with industry leaders ensures students at City Colleges receive the best training available to build skills so they are prepared to succeed in 21st century careers.”

The agreement, which begins in the fall, allows carpenters who have graduated from the union apprentice program to transfer up to 40 credit hours from the apprenticeship program and apply it toward their City Colleges Associate Degree, meaning they could need as few as 20 credit hours, or as little as one and a half semesters, to receive a degree.

“In today’s economy, post-secondary education is increasingly a pre-requisite for career success,” said Chancellor Hyman of City Colleges of Chicago. “This partnership will allow more Chicagoans to move quickly along a path to a college degree without all the debt, to continue to advance in their careers, and contribute to the building of a strong, vibrant city.”

A post-secondary degree is increasingly a needed step on the path to management positions in the construction field. CRCC apprentices will receive credit for their depth of knowledge, and maximize their time on the way to a degree. The program opens the doors to higher education for many who may have perceived a degree to be time or cost prohibitive. Access to continued education ensures carpenters will succeed in a competitive market.

“Our objective is to advance the education of our apprentices and journeymen,” said Frank Libby, President of the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters. “We are proud to enter into a partnership with City Colleges of Chicago and we thank Mayor Emanuel for his help and leadership.”

Interested CRCC apprentice and journeymen should contact the Carpenters’ Training Center in Elk Grove Village for an in-person consultation on what degree or continuing education path they are ultimately seeking. Applicants must then complete an evaluation before being accepted into the program.

The CRCC apprenticeship program consists of 12 to16 weeks of classroom training along with more than 5,700 hours of on-the-job training.

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About CRCC
The CRCC represents nearly 40,000 men and women in 81 counties in Northern Illinois, Southeastern Wisconsin and Eastern Iowa. The CRCC is composed of affiliated local unions that represent our members and provides the construction and maintenance industries with productive, competitive and certified professionals, encompassing a wide variety of crafts and skills.