Quick Facts

• Location: Perry, Michigan
• Address: 11155 Beardslee Rd, Perry, MI 48872
• School Type: Union Construction Apprenticeship & Journey-Worker Training Center
• Programs Offered: Construction Craft Laborer Apprenticeship plus construction, environmental, utility, safety, heavy-highway and specialty training
• Training Style: Paid on-the-job apprenticeship combined with extensive hands-on technical training
• Tuition Range: No out-of-pocket training cost for LIUNA members
• Program Length: Apprenticeship can be completed in as little as 2 years
• Training Requirement: Approximately 300 training hours + 4,000 work hours
• Online Programs Available: Yes — selected continuing-training courses are available online
• Hybrid Learning: Yes, depending on course; apprenticeship itself combines workplace and training-center education
• Financial Aid: Traditional FAFSA generally unnecessary; training is a LIUNA benefit
• Class Options: Apprenticeship, journey-worker upgrading, contractor-requested training and selected online classes
• Apprenticeship Recognition: U.S. Department of Labor-recognized apprenticeship
• Average Rating: ⭐ 4.9 (21 Reviews)
• Website: Official website

Overview

LIUNA Training of Michigan is not a conventional tuition-based trade school. It is a nonprofit, jointly administered labor-management training fund serving Construction Craft Laborers and signatory contractors throughout Michigan. The organization has provided training for more than 40 years and operates several training locations across the state, including its Perry center.

Its apprenticeship program is recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor and combines paid construction employment with technical training. Apprentices can complete the program in as little as two years by accumulating approximately 300 training hours and 4,000 work hours.

Programs Offered

The core pathway is the Construction Craft Laborer Apprenticeship, but LIUNA training covers a very broad range of construction specialties.

Areas include:

• Commercial construction
• Heavy-highway construction
• Underground utilities
• Concrete work
• Environmental remediation
• Asbestos work
• Hazardous-material safety
• Blueprint reading
• Construction layout
• Rigging
• Cutting and burning
• Equipment operation
• Pipeline construction
• Wind-farm construction
• Safety and specialty certifications

Construction Craft Laborer Apprenticeship

Apprentices may finish in as little as:

• 2 years
• 300 training hours
• 4,000 work hours

Successful completion leads to:

• LIUNA Journeyman card
• U.S. Department of Labor Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship
• Full journeyman wage level from the employer

This makes LIUNA particularly attractive to students who want a direct paid pathway into construction instead of paying tuition first and then searching for employment.

Construction Training

LIUNA’s course catalog is extensive.

Blueprint Reading & Measuring Tools

This 40-hour course teaches:

• Blueprint symbols and scales
• Plans and legends
• Builder’s levels
• Measuring slopes
• Construction surveying fundamentals

Advanced Layout & GPS

A more advanced 80-hour course trains students in:

• Grade stakes
• String lines
• Highway and site layout
• Total stations
• GPS surveying equipment

Cutting & Burning

The 40-hour course covers:

• Oxy-acetylene cutting
• Oxy-propane
• Plasma cutting
• Equipment setup
• Fire-watch procedures
• Cutting safety

Aerial Lift Training

Training generally lasts 8–16 hours and combines classroom and hands-on work involving:

• Scissor lifts
• Boom lifts
• Fall protection
• Harnesses
• Inspections
• Lift capacity and safety

Wind Farm Worker Training

LIUNA also offers a specialized five-week Wind Farm Work Program covering work-at-height and confined-space safety along with multiple welding processes, including SMAW, GMAW, GTAW and FCAW.

Environmental & Safety Training

LIUNA is particularly strong in specialized construction-safety education.

Examples include:

• Asbestos Awareness — 2 hours
• Asbestos Contractor/Supervisor — 40 hours
• Asbestos Worker — 40 hours
• Blood-Borne Pathogens — 2 hours
• Permit-Required Confined Space — 24 hours
• Silica Awareness — 2 hours

Some environmental programs combine a significant amount of hands-on instruction with classroom study.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Training is one of LIUNA’s largest advantages.

LIUNA Training of Michigan states:

There is no out-of-pocket cost for LIUNA Laborers to attend training. Signatory contractors also do not pay an additional individual training charge for members.

Because training is funded through the union/contractor structure, traditional Pell Grant or FAFSA financing is generally not the model.

Apprenticeship Requirements

Prospective apprentices must generally:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be physically capable of performing construction work
• Have reliable transportation
• Demonstrate punctuality and good attendance
• Be willing to follow training requirements
• Possibly pass a drug test

Applicants can enter through one of Michigan’s participating LIUNA local unions or other recognized program-entry routes.

Online Programs

LIUNA now offers selected online training, particularly for continuing education and certain safety or specialty classes. Not every course is available online, and many hands-on construction courses remain in person.

Why Students Choose This School

• Paid construction apprenticeship
• No out-of-pocket member tuition
• Can reach journeyman status in about two years
• 4,000 hours of real construction experience
• USDOL-recognized apprenticeship
• Heavy-highway and commercial construction training
• Environmental-remediation training
• Utility and underground construction
• Equipment and safety certifications
• Journey-worker skills upgrading

Career Opportunities

LIUNA apprentices and graduates may work in areas such as:

• Construction Craft Laborer
• Concrete Worker
• Highway Construction Worker
• Underground Utility Laborer
• Pipeline Worker
• Environmental Remediation Worker
• Asbestos Abatement Worker
• Grade Checker
• Construction Layout Worker
• Wind-Energy Construction Worker

Experienced laborers may advance into supervisory, specialty or foreman roles depending on contractor and union opportunities.

Student Reviews

Based on your supplied listing data:

⭐ Average Rating: 4.9 (21 Reviews)

The review count is relatively small, but the rating is excellent.

Enrollment Tips

Students interested in LIUNA should understand that this is not simply a school where anyone pays tuition and starts class. Entry is tied to the union apprenticeship system and employment in the construction industry.

Applicants should contact the appropriate Michigan LIUNA local, make sure they have reliable transportation, and ask what contractor demand currently looks like in their region.

Bottom Line

LIUNA Training of Michigan is one of the more compelling Michigan options for students seeking a paid construction apprenticeship rather than private trade-school debt. Apprentices can complete roughly 300 hours of formal training and 4,000 hours of paid work in as little as two years, with no out-of-pocket training cost for LIUNA members. Its range of heavy construction, utility, environmental, safety and specialty courses also makes it much broader than a typical introductory construction program.