Construction Technology: MSC Southeast carpentry program moves forward with emphasis on new technologies, sustainability

This fall, the MSC Southeast is launching a new two-year Construction Technology A.A.S. degree, merging modern carpentry training with sustainable building practices.  

The program emphasizes the most up-to-date technologies, sustainability, and energy efficiency in residential and commercial projects. Construction Technology students will gain experience with the tools, materials, methods, and standard practices of the trade, plus planning, designing, estimating, and blueprint reading. 

Jonathan Powell is the lead instructor in Construction Technology. He brings over 15 years of experience in residential, commercial, and industrial construction trades to his faculty role at MSC Southeast.  "In today's tight employment market, contractors are under so much pressure they don't have the time or resources to train in new employees on the job," he said. "A technical college program like ours can bring students up to speed before they start work."

MSC Southeast is partnering with Habitat for Humanity Winona-Fillmore Counties and the City of Winona to help address the need for entry level, affordable homes. This will involve construction of one or two houses per year and helping renovate many others.  In doing these projects students can learn all aspects of building a house in a smaller scale. 

In fact, if the weather is too rough to work outside, students can tackle building a tiny house right inside of the Construction Lab at MSC Southeast!

A grant from Clean Energy Resource Teams will help the college integrate environmentally friendly building techniques into the new curriculum. Funded by the grant, the college will work with Building Performance Institute (BPI) Air Leakage Control (ALC) to include installer training in its curriculum. Local contractors will also receive ALC training through the grant.

"This program will help build out Winona's workforce housing market as well as help mitigate the ongoing shortage of tradesmen and tradeswomen," according to Travis Thul, MSC Southeast Dean of Trade and Technology. "We are here to train tomorrow's trades professionals on state-of-the-art building techniques."

Jonathan Powell emphasized that construction is not just a job -- it's a profession. "Most students have no idea how much money they can make and how quickly they can move up in their careers. As educators, we need to keep our programs new and fresh, keep up with evolving technology and trends, and get students engaged in construction programs like ours," he said.

Apply now to start in the program this fall! For more information,  see the Construction Technology page or call MSCS Admissions at 877-853-8324.