
Code to Carpenter: A 32-Year-Old's Quest for a Millwork Apprenticeship
Jae Park, 32, left a tech career in Las Vegas to pursue carpentry via a union-backed four-year apprenticeship. After paying $60 for an OSHA course and visiting seven construction sites in a week to find sponsorship, she has yet to be sponsored. She hopes for a millwork role, finds the trades slow but rewarding, and values the worker-first culture she’s encountered in the union—a late-life pivot she believes was the right move despite the challenges.



