UPCC Invites Students to Apply for Construction Connect UP

The Upper Peninsula Construction Council is now is now accepting applications from current high school juniors for Construction Connect UP during the 2026–27 school year.

Construction Connect UP is designed to help students move seamlessly from the classroom into a career in the skilled trades. Students who complete the program may be directly placed into registered apprenticeships, allowing them to bypass the standard application process.

The program was developed through collaboration with UPCC signatory contractors and Upper Peninsula building trades unions, UP Michigan Works, Delta-Schoolcraft ISD, Dickinson-Iron ISD, and the Marquette-Alger Regional Education Services Agency. Together, these partners created a program that is skill-based, approved by both labor and industry, and closely connected to real job site experience.

Participating students must have schedules that allow for two hours in the morning or afternoon to work and train on job sites, where they earn $15 per hour while gaining hands-on experience.

To qualify, students must, at the time the program begins:

• Be a high school senior and at least 17 years of age.

• Be enrolled in a certified CTE Program.

• Have a driver’s license, or be in the process of obtaining one, and have reliable transportation.

• Pass a drug screen.

“There is a significant demand for skilled trades professionals across the Upper Peninsula,” said UPCC Executive Director Mike Smith. “Construction Connect UP gives students the chance to learn in real work environments, earn a paycheck, and begin building a career right away.”

Students can apply here.