NEGAUNEE — The groundbreaking for a 30,000-square-foot training facility happened on Wednesday afternoon.

This state-of-the-art facility in Negaunee will be home to the Marquette Carpenters and Millwrights Training Center.

It will be used to train and educate the next generation of skilled tradesmen and women.

“We heard some conversations today about some of the restrictions or challenges with transportation” said President of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights, Tom Lutz. “The reality is, is that we have members right here and we have contractors right here and we have a construction market right here, so there’s no reason for us to build anywhere else.”

They are looking to have the building finished and occupied approximately one year from now.

With a six million dollar investment, the new training facility is going to include specially-designed areas for carpenters and millwrights to gain real-world experiences.