Walking into Madison College’s new Construction & Remodeling facility felt like stepping into the next chapter of the trades—a chapter that looks confident, modern, and fully aligned with where the industry is headed. This new 30,000-sq.-ft. facility supports more than 50 students as they move through the one-year program each year, with hopes to add night school classes that will expand the programs offerings to a wider audience.
At first glance, the facility may look like a well-appointed shop ready to turn out production work. But this isn’t a workshop—it’s a training ground designed to launch students straight into professional-level work. The energy brought by students, instructors, and administration makes that clear the moment the door swings shut behind you.
The place hums. Everywhere you look, there’s dedicated space for learning the full range of skills our industry demands: clean, well-lit classrooms; a full kitchen and gathering areas where students connect and recharge; and, most importantly, expansive hands-on zones where students work through the same challenges we face on real job sites. The equipment is excellent, the layout is thoughtful, and the entire environment feels like a professional shop—not a compromise or an afterthought.
“There is a palpable sense of possibility running through the building.”
– Ian Schwandt, Production Manager for TDS Custom Construction
The program is already shaping tradespeople. One standout example is Alex Shinners, who stayed on after graduation to help bring this new facility online. Along with two other former students, Alex built the workspaces and the three-story training house frame that students will now use to practice setting trusses, installing windows and doors, and tackling both interior and exterior finishes. Future cohorts will quite literally learn on the bones he assembled—a fitting metaphor for a program that builds upward, student by student.
There is a palpable sense of possibility running through the building. With indoor tiny-home construction bays, year-round teaching capacity, and enrollment climbing back to pre-pandemic levels, the space is designed to expand opportunity. It’s a facility that respects both the craft and the people choosing to pursue it.
Touring the facility and speaking with students and instructors, it was impossible not to feel hopeful. Madison College and the staff of the Construction & Remodeling program should be commended for their dedication to keeping craft alive and for creating both the program and the facility needed to make a career in the trades possible. If this is the environment shaping the next generation of builders, the future of the trades is in very good hands.
— Ian Schwandt; production manager for TDS Custom Construction in Madison, Wis., and a Fine Homebuilding contributing editor.
Keep Craft Alive is our campaign celebrating those who have chosen to passionately pursue a career in design, building, and remodeling. Find out more and show your support by visiting KeepCraftAlive.org, and use #KeepCraftAlive to share your passion for the cause.
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