Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest Trust Fund

Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest is an educational institute dedicated to developing professional tradespeople, advancing their skills, and certifying their qualifications in the Upper Midwest. Our diverse, inclusive programming provides lucrative, exciting career pathways for high school students, seasoned workers, and everyone in between. Our strong relationships with local employers provide networking opportunities at every stage of our alumni’s careers.

FTIUM’s education programs include a Registered Apprenticeship program, the Finishing Trades Academy (FTA) - a CTE program for high school students, Preparing for Real Economic Prosperity (PREP) - an adult pre-apprenticeship worker readiness program, continuing education for tradespeople to improve and maintain their skills, and an Associates of Applied Science Degree in Construction Technologies.

Apprenticeship with FTIUM opens you up to the varied and growing opportunities within the Finishing Trades.

FTIUM Apprenticeship Programs for Commercial Painters, Coating Application Specialists, Drywall Finishers, Glaziers, Glassworkers, and Sign Technicians are all registered with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, the North Dakota Department of Labor, and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry where applicable. Each of them require:

• An average of three (3) years of training

• An average of 432 Related Training hours

• At least 6,000 paid On-the-Job Training where apprentices earn while they learn with excellent wages and benefits

The Finishing Trades Academy (FTA) provides a unique opportunity for high school students to gain hands-on experience and learn about the different crafts and professions of the finishing trades while completing their high school coursework.

The FTA includes:

• A head start on your apprenticeship & college degree while you finish high school

• Hands-on experience at our state-of-the-art, 50,000-square-foot training facility in Little Canada

• Free mental health counseling through the FTIUM Care Team

• A gateway to paid apprenticeship & the FTIUM associate’s degree program

• A opportunity to explore a future in a lucrative career path with $0 college debt

FTIUM PREP is an adult worker readiness that helps to students achieve valuable skills and prepares them for an earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship. Grow your skills for your future career in construction.

Trade Skills You’ll Learn:

• Industrial painting

• Commercial painting

• Drywall finishing

• Glazing and/or glassworking

Improve Your Abilities:

• Teamwork

• Building your resume

• Interview skills

• Crucial soft skills for career and life success

Associate of Applied Science Degree in Construction Technologies at FTIUM. 

Careers in the finishing trades are expanding. Growing industry demands highly educated workers who have their heads in the game and their boots on the ground. Our infrastructure is growing. That means our workers need to meet the moment by gaining highly specialized skills and certifications. An Associates degree from FTIUM can help provide what workers need with respect to long-term career and personal development as well as opportunities for career advancement.

Long-term career and personal development:

• Expertise in specialized, sought-after skills in your area of concentration

• A pathway to bachelors & graduate degrees

• Entrepreneurial training and strategic networking

• Public speaking and written communication skills

• Personal satisfaction/achievement

Opportunities for career advancement:

• Project management

• Superintendent

• Inspector

• Sales

• Estimator

• Leadership

• Business owner/operator

• Management and front office roles