Earn While You Learn — Skilled Trades Career Program
Three years. Three stages. Complete mastery of millwork craft, design technology, and business operations — while earning real wages every single day. Built inside a real commercial millwork company in Denver, Colorado.
What Makes This Different
Most programs teach you one skill in a classroom and call it training. The Journey embeds you inside Sticks and Stone's live commercial millwork operation from day one — building real work for real clients while every dimension of the business becomes your curriculum.
"The Journey is not a trade school that happens to be attached to a business. It is a business that happens to be a school. Students are not observers — they are operators. From estimating a job to delivering it, they do the work, carry the responsibility, and share in what gets built."
Across three years you master millwork craft and the full industrial machine room, every design and documentation tool the commercial construction industry runs on, and the complete business of running a millwork company — plus a front-row seat to the AI, digital twin, and blockchain platform being built on top of it all.
The Full Curriculum
Each stage is 12 months, divided into four phases. Every phase integrates theory with real production work. Select a stage to see exactly what you'll learn.
Year One begins where every master craftsperson begins: at the material. You learn how wood moves, how machines cut, how joints hold, and how finishes perform — not in theory, but on live commercial jobs for paying clients. By month twelve you can operate the full industrial machine room, program a CNC router, finish work to AWI commercial standards, and read a full set of construction documents.
This is the foundation that cannot be skipped. Every tool you touch in Stage Two, every estimate you build in Stage Three, rests on the physical understanding of material and process that Year One builds into your hands.
OSHA 10 certification, First Aid/CPR, wood species knowledge (hardwoods, softwoods, sheet goods, veneers, HPL, solid surface), hand tools, bench skills, sharpening discipline, blueprint reading fundamentals. You earn wages from week one while building the foundation everything else depends on.
Portable power tools (circular saw, jigsaw, router, nailers, pocket hole systems), the full joinery vocabulary (mortise and tenon, dovetail, cope and stick, dado, frame and panel, face-frame vs frameless), and precision hardware installation — Blum concealed hinges, undermount slides, and specialty hardware from Sugatsune and Häfele.
The full industrial machine room in sequence — jointer and thickness planer (material prep), panel saw and sliding table saw (primary cutting), shaper and 4-head moulder (profile work), mortiser and double-end tenoner (joinery machinery). Safe setup, calibration, maintenance, and production-grade output on real client orders.
CNC router fundamentals (G-code, toolpath logic, upcut/downcut/compression bits, nesting for material yield, vacuum hold-down), edge bander operation (PVC/ABS/veneer tape, flush trim, buffing), vacuum press lamination, and the complete spray finishing line — HVLP guns, pre-cat and conversion varnish lacquer, UV curing systems, and AWI Quality Standards certification.
A craftsperson who cannot read, produce, and coordinate construction documents cannot participate in commercial project delivery at the level this program demands. Year Two closes that gap — completely. You develop real fluency in every digital tool the industry runs on.
By the end of Stage Two you can produce AutoCAD shop drawing packages, model millwork in Revit and coordinate with architects through Navisworks, present photorealistic 3D walkthroughs to clients in SketchUp, manage submittals and RFI packages in Bluebeam, and generate CNC-ready manufacturing files in Cabinet Vision. These are not introductory skills — they are professional-grade competencies in the tools GCs and architects demand.
2D drafting precision — layer management, line weight standards, object snaps, and drawing organization for multi-sheet sets. Millwork-specific shop drawings: floor plans, elevations, sections, joinery details, hardware locations, and profile sections. Coordination overlays: importing architectural DWG backgrounds and drawing millwork over them — the core skill of design-assist work.
Rapid 3D millwork modeling — built-in cabinetry, wall elevations, countertop configurations, and molding profiles. Client presentation scenes and walkthrough sequences that remove ambiguity before fabrication begins. Enscape or V-Ray for photorealistic rendering on high-profile scopes. LayOut for producing professional 2D documentation directly from 3D models.
Parametric millwork family creation — casework, countertops, and architectural woodwork components in Revit. Model coordination: importing and linking architectural, structural, and MEP models; clash detection via Navisworks; resolving conflicts before fabrication begins. BIM Execution Plan requirements, LOD (Level of Development) standards, and shop drawing production directly from the coordinated BIM model.
Bluebeam Revu: the industry standard for construction communication — professional submittal packages, RFI markups, collaborative Studio review sessions with GCs and architects, punchlist documentation with photo-linked markups, and drawing comparison for change order protection. Cabinet Vision / WoodCAD|CAM: parametric casework design-to-manufacturing, automated cut lists, sheet goods optimization, and direct CNC toolpath generation.
Financial literacy is not a bonus skill in The Journey — it is a core curriculum requirement. A craftsperson who cannot read a job cost report cannot manage a project. A project manager who does not understand WIP cannot run a business. Year Three exists to fix that — completely.
You'll build estimates from real Division 06 construction documents, manage active commercial projects in Procore — RFIs, submittals, schedules, change orders — read WIP reports, track job costs in an ERP, supervise crews, and develop the client relationship skills that separate operators from order-takers. You graduate not just able to do the work, but qualified to run it.
Reading construction documents — drawing sets, Division 06 specs (rough carpentry and architectural woodwork), and addenda. Manual and software-assisted quantity takeoffs: sheet goods yield, linear molding footage, hardware counts. Labor hour estimation using real production rates. Overhead allocation, markup vs margin analysis, and bid package assembly — scope letters, exclusion lists, unit pricing — in formats GCs trust.
Sticks and Stone operates fully within Procore on all commercial projects. You manage real project documentation — not simulations. RFI writing and tracking, submittal workflow management, GC schedule reading and milestone communication, document control (single source of truth for all revisions), daily site logs, and change order documentation. The project management discipline that protects the subcontractor.
Job cost structure — phases, cost codes, and budget lines. Labor tracking, time entry, and job allocation. Purchase order management and material allocation. WIP (Work In Progress) reporting: percentage-of-completion accounting, why overbilling and underbilling destroy cash flow, and why the WIP report is the most important financial document in any project-based business. Cash flow fundamentals: the difference between profit and cash — and why profitable companies fail.
Client communication standards, design-assist conversations with architects and owners, proposal structure that tells a story (scope, approach, team, schedule, price), presentation technique for client and design team meetings. Crew supervision, giving specific and actionable feedback, mentoring incoming students. Conflict resolution with GCs and clients. Graduate with verified credentials, a real project portfolio, industry relationships, and your chosen career path activated.
What's Being Built Next
Everything in the three-stage curriculum is operational today. The craft is real, the tools are deployed, the business runs. But Sticks and Stone and The Journey are also building the infrastructure that will define the next generation of the trades — and every Journey student has a front-row seat.
The craft generates the data. The data trains the AI. The AI optimizes the business. The blockchain makes every credential permanently verifiable. Every project, every cohort, every graduation makes the platform more powerful. Journey students aren't just learning an industry — they're helping build what it becomes.
Explore the Growth PlatformWhat You'll Actually Master
Every skill built at The Journey is portable — to your own business, another firm, a leadership role, or a completely different city. Nothing you learn here can be taken away.
G-code basics, toolpath logic, upcut/downcut/compression spiral bit selection, feed rate and RPM relationships by material, nesting optimization for sheet goods yield, vacuum hold-down zone configuration, spoilboard maintenance, and first-article quality inspection. The most in-demand technical skill in commercial millwork.
Stage 1, Phase 4 →Jointer, thickness planer, panel saw, sliding table saw, shaper, 4-head moulder, wide belt sander, chain mortiser, double-end tenoner, horizontal boring machine — the complete production machine room in sequence. Safe setup, calibration, maintenance, and production-grade output on commercial-scale orders.
Stage 1, Phase 3 →Mortise and tenon (blind, through, wedged, haunched, drawbored), dovetails (hand-cut and router-cut, through and half-blind), cope and stick door frames, frame and panel construction, dado and rabbet, box joints, tongue and groove — by hand and by machine. The joinery that distinguishes premium millwork from commodity work.
Stage 1, Phase 2 →HVLP spray guns — fluid tip/needle selection, fan pattern, air pressure, material viscosity. Pre-cat, post-cat, and conversion varnish lacquer, oil-based and waterborne systems. Staining and toning for color consistency across species. UV flat-line curing for high-volume panel work. Surface prep: 80→120→150→180→220 grit progression, sealer coats, between-coat sanding.
Stage 1, Phase 4 →2D millwork shop drawings that communicate fabrication intent to the machine room, coordination requirements to the GC, and installation instructions to the field crew. Floor plans, elevations, sections, joinery details, hardware locations, profile sections, and coordination overlays over architectural DWG backgrounds — the core skill of design-assist work.
Stage 2, Phase 1 →Parametric millwork family creation, model linking and coordination, clash detection via Navisworks, BIM Execution Plan fluency, LOD (Level of Development) standards, and shop drawing production directly from the coordinated BIM model. The credential that opens the door to design-assist work on major commercial projects — hotels, office towers, healthcare facilities.
Stage 2, Phase 3 →The industry standard for PDF-based construction communication. Professional submittal packages with proper naming, revision marks, and cover sheets. Real-time collaborative Studio review sessions with GCs and architects. Punchlist documentation with photo-linked markups. Drawing comparison for change order protection. A shop that cannot manage this workflow is not a credible commercial subcontractor.
Stage 2, Phase 4 →Rapid 3D millwork modeling for client communication and design-assist collaboration. Clients cannot always read 2D drawings — a SketchUp model removes ambiguity and builds confidence before fabrication begins. Enscape or V-Ray photorealistic rendering for high-profile scopes. LayOut for 2D documentation extracted from 3D models.
Stage 2, Phase 2 →Reading Division 06 architectural woodwork specifications, manual and software-assisted quantity takeoffs (sheet goods yield, linear molding, hardware counts), labor hour estimation using production rates for each machine and operation, overhead allocation, markup vs margin analysis, and bid package assembly — scope letters, exclusion lists, alternates, unit pricing — in formats GCs trust. A bad estimate destroys a job before the first board is cut.
Stage 3, Phase 1 →Sticks and Stone operates fully within Procore on all commercial projects. You manage real documentation — not practice scenarios. RFI writing, tracking, and resolution. Submittal workflow management and resubmittals. GC schedule reading, milestone tracking, and critical path communication. Change order identification, documentation, and cost/schedule impact tracking. The project management discipline that protects the subcontractor on every job.
Stage 3, Phase 2 →Job cost structure with phases and cost codes. Labor tracking and time-to-job allocation. Purchase order management. WIP (Work In Progress) percentage-of-completion reporting — the single most important financial document in a project-based business. Variance analysis: identifying where jobs went over or under budget and translating that into operational improvement. Cash flow: why profitable companies fail for lack of it.
Stage 3, Phase 3 →Design-assist conversations that translate a client's or architect's intent into a constructible, budget-aligned millwork scope. Proposal structure that tells a story — scope, approach, team, schedule, price. Presentation technique for owner and design team meetings. How to position value over price. Delivering bad news professionally. Managing scope disputes. The soft skill that separates the $65K/yr craftsperson from the $95K/yr operator.
Stage 3, Phase 4 →Required in Month 1. Nationally recognized. General industry and construction standards, lockout/tagout, PPE requirements, hazard communication, machine guarding, dust collection, respiratory protection, and hearing conservation — taught as professional discipline, not compliance theater. The credential that opens every job site in the country and signals to every GC that you take safety seriously.
Earned Month 1 →Architectural Woodwork Institute Premium, Custom, and Economy grade definitions — how to read and apply the standards to a specific scope, shop drawing requirements per AWI, first-article inspection protocol (checking first parts off every new setup before production runs), and final inspection checklists for every completed scope before it leaves the shop. The benchmark that commercial clients expect.
Earned Stage 1, Phase 4 →The difference between visible dust and respirable particles. N95 vs P100 respirators for specific tasks. Central dust collection system maintenance. Finishing chemical SDS (Safety Data Sheets), flammability classifications, ventilation requirements for spray booth operation, PPE for finishing operations, and hazardous waste disposal. What happens when these protocols are ignored — and how to build a culture that doesn't require reminders.
Covered throughout Stage 1 →Every certification earned — OSHA 10, AWI, CNC qualification, Procore certification, program completion — recorded on-chain as an immutable, permanently verifiable micro-credential at every phase gate. Any employer, GC, or developer can verify your specific competencies in seconds, for life, from anywhere in the country. The first portable, independently verifiable trades credential system ever built.
Earned throughout all 3 stages →The Opportunity Is Real
A workforce crisis three decades in the making is creating the opening of a generation. The Journey is the path through it.
Before You Apply
There Is No Better Time
No experience required. No debt incurred. Three years from now you will have mastered a complete trade, earned real money, built a real portfolio, and launched a career that belongs entirely to you.
The Journey operates on a single financial principle: you should never pay to learn a trade. You earn real hourly wages beginning your first day on the shop floor — wages that increase at every phase gate as your skills and responsibilities grow.
Pay across the three stages:
Zero tuition. Zero fees. Zero payback — ever. While the average college student accumulates $37,000 in debt, you're building a career and earning income from day one.
The full compensation structure is shared with applicants during the interview process. If you have specific financial questions before you apply, reach out directly.
From month one, you're working on live commercial and residential millwork projects for real paying clients. No simulations, no practice boards, no dummy assignments. Every project you touch becomes part of your portfolio — documented evidence of what you can produce.
Project types across three years:
By Stage Two, you're producing AutoCAD shop drawings and Revit BIM models for the same projects you're fabricating in the shop. By Stage Three, you're estimating, managing, and delivering those same project types — a complete, end-to-end understanding of commercial millwork that no classroom can replicate.
Every project lives in your blockchain-verified portfolio. When you graduate, you don't show up to an interview describing what you learned. You show them what you built.
Every certification earned at The Journey is industry-recognized, portable, and permanently yours. Journey graduates are also the first tradespeople in the country to carry a blockchain-verified credential wallet.
Certifications earned through the program:
Blockchain credential wallet — how it works: Every skill gate, from tool safety certification in month one to business mastery in month 36, is recorded on-chain as a verifiable micro-credential. Any employer, GC, or client can pull up your skills record and verify specific competencies in seconds — no phone calls, no transcripts, no ambiguity. Your wallet follows you for life across employers, cities, and industries. This is the first portable, independently verifiable trades credential system ever built in this country.
There is no single mold for a Journey graduate. Three years of breadth — craft, design technology, and business operations — opens four distinct career directions. You choose the one that matches your ambition.
All four paths launch from the same foundation: three years of real work, real wages, a verified credential wallet, and a portfolio of commercial projects that proves exactly what you can do.
No orientation binders. No PowerPoint presentations. You show up, and you get to work.
You go home tired. You go home having built something real for a paying client. You go home having been paid for it.
That's how every day of this program works. Three years of that — with progressively more responsibility, more skill, and more compensation — is what The Journey builds.