Finding The Best Community College for Construction/Carpentry

College Search & Selection Community Colleges
1

Hi

I am getting really frustrated with the community college system here. I have been looking for construction training courses and I came across two, D35180 (Carpentry) and D35140 (Building Construction).

I have been going in circles talking to the Course Directors of these courses and various colleges asking them what the difference is (as the Colleges offer one or the other but not both) and I’m getting absolutely nowhere. It’s like the course directors have no idea what they are teaching or why.

I have very carefully laid out my question and despite countless communication, I am still no closer to finding out what the actual difference is between the courses. From the descriptions on the college websites, they appear to be identical with the exception that “Carpentry I, II and III” has been replaced with the words “Construction I, II and III”.

How do I accurately and correctly compare these and what they offer and what the point of each one is? and then how do i find out which College is the best at providing the course I have selected??

This is a really simple ask, I don’t understand why 8 weeks later I still can’t get an answer to this insanely fundamental question.

TLDR: How do i find out what the difference is between these courses when the course directors themselves cannot tell me and keep regurgitating the same generic responses. And then how do i find out which college does it best?

2

Maybe since each college only offers one or the other, the course directors can’t give you a comparison. Since they only teach one and don’t have details on what other colleges are doing. Did you read through the course descriptions?

Just with a quick look at some descriptions of these programs, it may be that the carpentry programs focus more on woodwork and construction may cover more of a variety (masonry, etc.).

How many community colleges are feasible for you in location?

3

I teach at a college and I have no clue what is all included in another colleges courses. I can only tell you whats in my course.

I guess I would maybe rephrase the question with determining what your goal is. Ask each community college, “I want to do xyz when I graduate. Will your program teach me to be successful at that?” And also “How many of your graduates from that program are hired on full time after graduation?
Do you have an partnerships with local businesses? If so, which ones?”

Do you know anyone in the business in the area you plan to work? Call them up and ask which college they typically hire graduates from.

1 Like
4

I think the best thing you could do is get a business/accounting degree while being an apprentice/assistant for a project, purchasing and/or construction manager.

5

Thanks for the useful information