Quick Facts

• Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Address: 935 Olson Memorial Hwy, Minneapolis, MN 55405
• School Type: Nonprofit Career & Workforce Training School
• Trade Programs: Carpentry and Electrician Training
• Additional Programs: IT Specialist, Financial Services, Medical Administrative Assistant, Unlicensed Dental Assistant and GED preparation
• Training Style: Accelerated, hands-on career training with workforce-readiness and job-placement support
• Tuition Range: $0 out-of-pocket cost for eligible/enrolled students through Summit’s financial-aid model
• Program Length: 20 weeks for career training
• Online Programs Available: No for the primary trade programs
• Hybrid Learning: No — current Carpentry and Electrician training is in person
• Financial Aid: Yes — Summit says financial assistance covers full tuition for its tuition-free training model
• Class Options: Daytime Carpentry and Electrician; Electrician also has evening/weekend scheduling
• Accreditation: Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE)
• Career Services: Job-readiness training, mock interviews, employer connections and hiring fairs
• Average Rating: ⭐ 4.4 (202 Reviews)
• Website: Official Summit Academy OIC website

Overview

Summit Academy OIC is one of the most interesting Minnesota listings because its model is fundamentally different from a normal technical college. Summit is a nonprofit workforce-training organization providing accelerated, tuition-free career training designed to move students into employment quickly.

For TradeSchoolScout, its two most relevant programs are Carpentry and Electrician, both of which can be completed in only 20 weeks through intensive hands-on instruction.

Summit also puts substantial emphasis on workforce readiness. Students receive interview preparation and employer connections rather than simply completing technical coursework and being left to navigate the job market alone.

Programs Offered

Current accredited career-training options include:

• Carpentry
• Electrician
• IT Specialist
• Financial Services
• Medical Administrative Assistant
• Unlicensed Dental Assistant

Summit also operates a separate GED program.

Electrician Training

Electrician training takes 20 weeks in the accelerated daytime format.

The first 10 weeks emphasize fundamentals including:

• Construction safety
• Electrical math
• Blueprint reading
• Hand and power tools
• Building materials
• Construction concepts

During weeks 11–20, training becomes much more hands-on. Students work on residential and commercial wiring projects and learn:

• Electrical theory
• Pipe bending
• Panel terminology
• Circuitry
• Installation procedures
• Troubleshooting
• Job-site safety

The program is intended to prepare graduates for entry-level electrician work with union or non-union employers, not to automatically grant journeyworker electrician status.

Carpentry Training

Carpentry also takes 20 weeks and follows a similar two-phase structure.

Weeks 1–10 cover:

• Safety
• Construction math
• Blueprint/print reading
• Hand and power tools
• Building materials

Weeks 11–20 move into hands-on residential and commercial framing projects. Students work in teams and gain practical experience with framing, installation, measurement and construction problem-solving.

Potential entry-level directions include:

• Apprentice Carpenter
• Framer
• Trim Carpenter
• Finish Carpenter
• Window Installer
• Roofer
• Maintenance Technician

Tuition & Financial Aid

This is Summit’s biggest differentiator.

Both its current Carpentry and Electrician pages advertise:

$0 cost — no cost to the student, with financial aid supporting full tuition.

Summit’s 2026 communications continue to describe its career training as tuition-free, supported by donors, grants and workforce funding.

For TradeSchoolScout, I would therefore use:

Tuition Range: $0 out-of-pocket tuition for qualifying/enrolled students under Summit’s funding model; confirm eligibility and any incidental costs directly with Summit.

This is much more informative than presenting a theoretical tuition price that students generally are not expected to pay themselves.

Class Schedule

Current daytime career programs meet:

Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–2:50 p.m.

Electrician students also have an evening/weekend option:

Monday–Thursday: 5:00–9:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m.–2:50 p.m.

That makes Summit’s electrician pathway particularly attractive for adults who cannot attend full-time daytime training.

Accreditation

Summit Academy OIC is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE).

Its current 2026–27 course catalog is also available through the school’s official site.

Why Students Choose This School

• Tuition-free career training
• 20-week Carpentry program
• 20-week Electrician program
• Hands-on construction projects
• Daytime training
• Evening/weekend Electrician option
• Union and non-union career preparation
• Mock interviews and hiring fairs
• Direct employer connections
• COE accreditation
• GED program available

Career Opportunities

Construction graduates may pursue entry-level positions such as:

• Apprentice Electrician
• Low-Voltage Technician
• Solar Panel Installer
• Maintenance Technician
• Panel Builder
• Apprentice Carpenter
• Framer
• Finish Carpenter
• Trim Carpenter
• Roofer
• General Construction Worker

Electrician graduates still need to satisfy Minnesota apprenticeship, experience and licensing requirements as applicable.

Student Reviews

Based on your supplied Google data:

⭐ Average Rating: 4.4 (202 Reviews)

The relatively large review count makes this more useful than ratings based on only a handful of reviews, although prospective students should still read recent comments concerning their specific training program.

Enrollment Tips

Students should understand that Summit’s construction programs are intensive. Daytime students attend roughly six hours per day, five days per week, for 20 weeks.

Anyone who needs to keep a daytime job should investigate the Electrician evening/weekend schedule. Summit currently lists that schedule as Monday–Thursday evenings plus Saturday instruction.

Applicants should also ask Summit to confirm their individual eligibility for the funding that makes training available without out-of-pocket tuition.

Bottom Line

Summit Academy OIC should be a featured Minnesota option for students who need affordable, fast career training. Its 20-week Carpentry and Electrician programs combine classroom fundamentals, extensive hands-on projects, workforce preparation and employer connections—and Summit currently advertises both at $0 out-of-pocket tuition through its financial-aid model. For students who cannot afford a traditional one- or two-year trade program, that makes Summit one of the most compelling listings in the Minneapolis area.