What do skilled trades and apprenticeship jobs look like?
See first-hand, talk to workers and even try welding at what could be Monroe County’s first trades career fair.
The Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Pathways Career Fair, hosted by the Monroe/Lenawee County AFL-CIO, will take place from 5-7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at UA Local 671, 309 Detroit Ave. in Monroe.
“We have supported many community career and hiring events, but this will be the first ‘all union construction trade’ career exploration event in Monroe to my knowledge,” said Justin McManaway, apprenticeship and training coordinator for UA Local 671, Monroe Plumbers & Pipefitters.
“We will open up all four of our buildings for the event. We are excited to open our training campus to the community,” said Kristina Henry, assistant apprenticeship and training coordinator for UA Local 671.
Eight area labor unions will represent fields like construction labor, plumbing, pipefitting, HVAC work, welding, cement finishing, carpentry and electrical work.
“We have challenged each trade union to provide a hands-on or interactive demonstration or display,” McManaway said.
At the start of the fair, Monroe County Community College will announce its new Pathways to Apprenticeship certification program.
“The AFL-CIO Construction Trades have partnered with MCCC to create this certificate program as a stepping-stone for anyone looking to gain an advantage when applying for the trades,” McManaway said.
Also at the Career Fair, attendees can enter a raffle for gift cards. Pizza and pop will be served.
What inspired the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Pathways Career Fair?
“We wanted to do an event like this to highlight all the skilled trades and give people a chance to really explore pathways in skilled trades. We thought it would be so beneficial to the community if we got several trades together in one place to demonstrate and show the work they do,” Henry said. “We have done presentations in all our local high schools over the past six months and we have heard from many high-schoolers that they want to get into the trades, but they just don’t know what they would like or be good at. This event will allow them to explore some options.”
Who can go?
All ages of career explorers are welcome.
“We want families to come out and bring their kids of all ages because it’s never too young to plant the seed of ‘What do I want to do when I grow up?'” Henry said.
Can I really try welding?
“We plan to have two of our welding instructors on-site to give weld demonstrations and to provide an opportunity for a career explorer to try their hand at SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding),” McManaway said.
To participate, attendees must wear long pants and boots.
What organizations will be there?
“The participating unions will be spread out across our entire campus and placed in buildings that will accommodate their display or demonstration. After an opening welcome, people should feel free to grab some pizza and walk around to experience the different skilled trades,” Henry said.
Can I talk to workers?
“We have current apprentices who are volunteering that night to help people find what they are looking for, answer questions and talk about their apprenticeship experience,” Henry said.
Are there many women in skilled trades and apprenticeships?
“There are not a lot of women in these fields,” Henry said. “It is important for girls and women to see that skilled trades is an option for them. Women are very good trade workers because women usually are very detail-oriented, have creative minds and are good at specialty crafts, making them really good at welding and carpentry, for example.”
What’s the local job market like for skilled trades?
“We’re seeing pretty steady growth in a lot of the skilled trades in southeast Michigan,” said Stacey McCoy, director of SEMCA Michigan Works! Monroe American Job Center.
In Monroe County, electrical work is the biggest need, McCoy said. Next in demand now are HVAC, plumbing and pipefitting work.
McCoy said Monroe Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 671 is opening its next round of applications on Feb. 1. Union representatives will be at the Monroe American Job Center at 9 a.m. Feb. 17.
“They will answer questions and talk about what the process for application looks like,” McCoy said.
Recently, the Detroit chapter of the union opened its application period.
“They had so many applications they had to close early,” McCoy said.
“Post-secondary training doesn’t have to look the same for everyone,” McCoy said. “For some, the best path is something like apprenticeships or skilled trades. You earn and learn at the same time. All pathways can lead to a valuable career.”
What’s Monroe County’s unemployment rate?
Monroe County’s unemployment rate for December 2025 was 4.6%, down from 4.9% in November of 2025, according to data released Jan. 29 by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.
“Michigan regional jobless rates ranged from 3.7 to 7.6 percent in December,” according to the department.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Unions coming to Monroe’s Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship Career Fair
Reporting by Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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