Forget the resume stack and the awkward handshake. On May 23, the Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters is turning Comerica Park into a job tryout.
The “Make the Cut” Carpenter Combine - hosted in partnership with Olympia Entertainment and the Detroit Tigers - opens the ballpark’s front lots to anyone curious about a career in the skilled trades. No experience required.
“Instead of trying to sell yourself to a contractor that you can be a great carpenter, now you can show them what you can do on a course,” said Steve Purchase of the Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters. “Just like a tryout for a sports team, we’ve got a skills course where you drive nails, and you scribe drywall and you do other things to stand out and get a job.”
The event is shaping up to be a major draw. Rian English-Barnhill, also with the Council, said organizers are “trending towards 1,000 RSVPs” and have deliberately moved the event into the heart of District Detroit to maximize reach.
“This is open to everyone,” English-Barnhill said. “We firmly believe in access to opportunity, particularly for our youth. That’s how we move the city, the state, and the region forward.”
Younger attendees will find hands-on activities through the Schools and Tools program, including virtual welding and framing a mock wall - all aboard an on-site semi-truck turned mobile learning lab.
For those ready to make a career move, John Perkins of the Council said the bar to entry is intentionally low. “This event is for anyone, all ages, with experience or no experience. We want to make sure that the opportunities are not just exposed but accessible,” he said.
As for preparation, Perkins kept it simple: “Show up with a great attitude, ready to go to work and enjoy the day.”
Purchase added that work boots are the only real requirement - the Council supplies the rest, including high-vis vests, hard hats, safety glasses, and gloves. The day kicks off with an orientation inside Comerica Park and a ceremonial first nail drive.
The payoff, Purchase said, goes well beyond the event itself.
“These are great family-supporting careers. You can earn a really good living with benefits and a pension,” he said. “You get to turn around and point back at your work and say, ‘I built that.’ How cool is that?”
The Make the Cut Carpenter Combine takes place May 23 at Comerica Park in Detroit.
For more information, or to register, visit nmrcc.link/hired.
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