(WASHINGTON, DC) – More than 100 job seekers, students, union training directors, elected officials and area workforce development specialists came together at Gallaudet University on July 18th for Trades Day 2025, a half-day conference that highlighted the work of the region’s building trades, as well as opportunities for local residents interested in apprenticeship opportunities and career paths in the construction industry.
“There’s so many different ways that you all can get into the construction industry and start your journey to getting free health care, free training, great pay and benefits,” said Greg Akerman, president of the Baltimore-D.C. Building Trades Council, as part of a panel discussion at the conference. “The District of Columbia has a lot of exciting construction projects coming up.”
Representatives from various trades staffed tables outside the event auditorium, providing information and answering questions from attendees about pre-apprentice and apprenticeship programs.
“Get your hands dirty, see what it is that you like to do. Once you get in a construction field, you’re going to fall in love with something and you’re going to say, ‘This is work. This is for me.’ ”
– Kunta Bedney, Business Representative
Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.
“Get your hands dirty, see what it is that you like to do. Once you get in a construction field, you’re going to fall in love with something and you’re going to say, ‘This is work. This is for me.’ ”
– Kunta Bedney, Business Representative
Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.
Major projects such as the redevelopment of Capital One Arena, the forthcoming RFK stadium project, and numerous infrastructure upgrades across the city are fueling unprecedented demand for skilled construction labor.
“As we look at infrastructure and construction, there’s going to be roughly 7000 jobs over the next five years here in DC,” said Anika Holmes, chief of staff for the DC Workforce Investment Council.
Referring to the RFK project, Akerman noted: “The people that are going to be building that stadium are going to be laborers, they’re going to be carpenters, electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, operating engineers, bricklayers.”
“I would love for people here today,” he added, “to drive by that stadium five years from now, when it’s built, and be able to say that “I built that.’ ”
All of the trades involved in a large project like the RFK stadium and site redevelopment have some type of pre-apprenticeship program, noted panelist Kunta Bedney, a business representative with the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.
“Go explore that,” said Bedney. “Get your hands dirty, see what it is that you like to do. Once you get in a construction field, you’re going to fall in love with something and you’re going to say, ‘This is work. This is for me.’ ”
Carpenters’ Union Business Representative Kunta Bedney speaks as part of a panel at Trades Day 2025. Seated next to him is DC Workforce Investment Council Chief of Staff Anika Holmes.