Carpentry students use their skills in real world application.

Trusses are placed on the 2012-2013 Home Build Project

Each year carpentry students, led by instructor Ralph Roemer who has more than 40 years of residential construction and remodeling experience, complete a single-story home on a property owner's lot in two semesters. "Building the home and custom cabinets gives students a chance to work with power tools and learn the trade in a practical environment," says Roemer, adding, "The industry is on the rise again and our community needs well trained workers entering the workforce to prepare for the increase."

Working in partnership with the home owner, Roemer is personally involved and coordinates all phases of the construction project, from the initial planning and design, to the identification of cost-competitive subcontractors, and finally to the actual construction of the home; start to finish including the fabrication of all custom-built cabinetry. All carpentry and cabinet-making labor is supplied by the carpentry program students under direct supervision. "Our instructor and program are second to none," said Bob Leifeld, Southeast Technical Dean of Business, Information, Trade & Technologies, adding "Ralph Roemer has many years of experience as an instructor and craftsman; he strives to pass his skill and knowledge to his students while building a home to the industry's highest standards and specifications."

Students and Faculty pose in front of the nearly finished 2011-2012 Home Build Project

Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical is currently accepting applications for the construction of a new single-family home in the greater Winona area for the 2014-2015 academic year. In an effort to provide affordable housing opportunities for area residents, students enrolled in the program are able to provide construction services to families or individuals who are interested in building a high-quality, energy-efficient, single-family home.

The home owner's financial obligation for the entire project is for services provided by local subcontractors, the cost of construction and cabinet materials, plus a small percentage of those construction and cabinet materials payable to Southeast Technical's Carpentry program to defray its expenses. For more information, contact Bob Leifeld at 507-453-2753.