UPCC’s Construction Connect Program Expands Opportunities for U.P. High School Students

UPCC Executive Director Mike Smith recently spoke with Local 3 about the growing success of the Construction Connect program, an “earn and learn” opportunity for high school seniors interested in careers in the construction trades.

Construction Connect is a partnership between the Upper Peninsula Construction Council, U.P. Michigan Works!, and local education agencies. Students spend their senior year working alongside contractors and tradespeople for two to three hours a day, Monday through Friday, earning $15 per hour while gaining hands-on experience. At the end of the program, participants have the opportunity to be drafted into an apprenticeship program.

Smith said UPCC is preparing to draft ten new students into the program and noted that participation is growing across the region, including the addition of a student in the Sault Ste. Marie area. The goal, he said, is to continue expanding Construction Connect throughout the U.P. so local students can build careers in the skilled trades while staying and working in their home communities.

Applications for the next cohort close Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Students interested in applying can learn more and apply here.