Key Facts About DCAWI’s Construction Academy

  • Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin (DCAWI) has launched the nation’s first Construction Academy in partnership with Let’s Build Together Wisconsin.
  • The academy combines 120 hours of career and technical education coursework with more than 60 hours of hands-on industry experience.
  • Students can graduate with nationally recognized MC3 Skilled Trades Certification before completing high school.
  • The program is supported by trade union partners including UA Local 400 Pipe Trades, the Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters, and International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 139.
  • The initiative was designed to help address workforce needs as construction job openings in Wisconsin are anticipated to increase 11.8% by 2032.

MCFARLAND, Wis., Oct. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin (DCAWI), a K12-powered tuition-free career and technical education-focused online high school, announced the launch of its Construction Academy in partnership with Let’s Build Together Wisconsin. As the only program of its kind in the United States, this expansion of DCAWI’s Construction & Engineering Pathway offers Northeast Wisconsin high school students unprecedented opportunities to gain hands-on experience in various skilled trades before graduation.

“Students pursuing the trades deserve advanced placement options too. Our program gives students a direct pathway to in-demand, high-paying jobs right after high school,” said Dr. Sara Cutler, executive director of Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin. “We blend the flexibility of online learning with hands-on experience in professional union and industry training centers.”

The newly established Construction Academy operates like an “early-college” pathway for the trades, combining 120 hours of CTE coursework with 60+ hours of hands-on industry experience so students can graduate with a nationally recognized MC3 Skilled Trades Certification.

Throughout their experience, students utilize a “Badge Book” framework, where they can move beyond career fairs and site tours directly into active union facilities. There, they work alongside trade professionals to practice hands-on skills, solve real-world job-site challenges, and build direct relationships for future apprenticeships.

Industry Partners Collaborate to Address Workforce Needs

The initiative brings together education leaders, training partner Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership | Building Industry Group Skilled Trades Employment Program (WRTP | BIG STEP), consulting partner Kinect M1, and trade unions including UA Local 400 Pipe Trades, the Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters, and International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 139 to offer high school students pre-apprenticeship pathways while addressing the region’s workforce needs as construction job openings are anticipated to increase 11.8% by 2032. 

“I’ve seen firsthand the need for more skilled tradespeople in Wisconsin,” said Dustin Delsman, assistant business manager at UA Local 400, Northeast Wisconsin’s local Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union. “The reality is that we are faced with an aging workforce, which means we have to meet the next generation of construction tradespeople where they are and expose them to the wide range of career opportunities in order to maintain a pipeline of talent, and this partnership with DCAWI helps us accomplish this goal.”

Students Explore Multiple Skilled Trades Pathways

Unlike traditional vocational programs, the Construction Academy reflects the collaborative reality of modern job sites. By bringing union leaders from different disciplines to the same table, the academy allows students to explore multiple sub-pathways before committing to a specific trade, including:

  • Carpentry
  • Pipe trades
  • Heavy equipment operation
  • General construction

The foundation of the academy was laid through an early partnership between DCAWI and IUOE Local 139, which established the school’s initial construction curriculum. Today, that vision has grown into four distinct sub-pathways, backed by industry partners investing directly in the next generation of workers.

The Construction Academy pathway is open to Northeastern Wisconsin high school students enrolled in DCAWI. To learn more about the Construction Academy, visit dcawi.k12.com.

About Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin
Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin (DCAWI) is the state’s first career and technical education-focused online high school, serving students statewide in grades 9-12 tuition-free. With career pathways in fields like construction and technical education, Destinations Career Academy prepares students for both college and the workforce. As a K12-powered school, it benefits from 25 years of expertise in online learning. Learn more at dcawi.k12.com.

About The Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership | Building Industry Group Skilled Trades Employment Program
The Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership | Building Industry Group Skilled Trades Employment Program (WRTP | BIG STEP) is paving the way to make sure everyone has a pathway to a family-supporting career. Its mission is to enhance the ability of public and private sector organizations to recruit, develop, and retain a more diverse, qualified workforce in construction, manufacturing, and emerging sectors of the regional economy. Learn more at wrtp.org.

About UA 400 Pipe Trades 
The UA Local 400 Pipe Trades, headquartered in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, is comprised of approximately 2,800+ total members serving eighteen counties in Northeast Wisconsin. The organization is affiliated with the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters with an estimated 412,000+ members throughout the United States and Canada. The group’s mission is to be the preferred choice for industries, employers and workers specializing in plumbing, pipefitting, HVACR service and pipe fabrication as well as training for its members and qualified manpower to their 105+ signatory contractors. The UA Local 400 takes pride in their partnerships and contributions to serve local communities with organizations such as Cerebral Palsy Telethon, Special Olympics, Rebuilding Together, Heat’s On Program, Harbor House, Freedom House, Journey to Adult Success Program, Salvation Army and more. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about UA Local 400, visit ua400.org and follow on Facebook and YouTube.

About Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters
The Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters (NMRCC) represents more than 36,000 skilled union members and their families across Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. We are proudly chartered by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) – one of North America’s oldest and most respected labor unions that is committed to raising industry standards, protecting workers’ rights, and strengthening both our communities and our industry since 1881. 

About IUOE Local 139
IUOE Local 139 represents over 11,500 heavy equipment operators in the construction industry throughout the State of Wisconsin. An integral part of IUOE Local 139’s success is a comprehensive apprenticeship training program and 380-acre state-of-the-art training facility. With over 1,400 apprentices in 2026, IUOE Local 139’s apprenticeship program is one of the largest heavy equipment training apprenticeship programs in the nation.

FAQs About DCAWI’s Construction Academy

What makes the Construction Academy unique?
The Construction Academy is the only program of its kind in the United States, pairing an online high school environment with hands-on union experience and the opportunity to earn a nationally recognized MC3 Skilled Trades Certification before graduation.

What skilled trades can students explore through the academy?
Students can explore multiple sub-pathways, including carpentry, pipe trades, heavy equipment operation, and general construction, before choosing a specific trade path.

What is K12?
K12 is a decades-long leader in online K-12 education, in operation since 2000, committed to personalized learning that helps students reach their full potential.

Sandi Beason, APR
K12
Press@K12.com


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