Learn by doing
Trades are learned on the tools. Most of every program is spent in the shop, not behind a desk.
Our story
From one welding bay to six full trades
Craft Trades started in 2009 in a single rented welding bay outside Chicago. Our founders — a master welder and a journeyman electrician — were tired of watching capable people get priced out of college while skilled-trade jobs went unfilled. They built the school they wished had existed: rigorous, hands-on, and obsessed with whether students actually got hired.
What began with one program and nine students has grown into a full vocational campus with six trades, modern workshops, and more than 14,000 graduates working across the country. But the founding rule still holds: we don't celebrate until our students are on the job.
Today our team is made up of master tradespeople, instructors, and a dedicated placement staff — many of them Craft Trades graduates themselves — all focused on one thing: launching careers in the skilled trades.
2009Founded
Mission & values
Our mission is your first day on the tools
We measure ourselves by graduate outcomes. These values keep us focused on what actually changes lives.
Outcomes over hype
We publish real placement rates and salaries. If our graduates don't get hired, we haven't done our job.
Access for all
No degree required. Scholarships and deferred tuition mean cost is never the only barrier.
Safety first
Every student learns to work safely from day one — the same standards expected on every job site.
Industry-current
Our curriculum is reviewed every year with input from the contractors and shops who hire our grads.
Support that lasts
Placement help doesn't end at graduation — alumni keep lifetime access to our hiring network.
Meet your instructors
Master tradespeople who love to teach
Our lead instructors spent decades on real job sites before stepping into the workshop — and they're on the floor with you every day.
Marcus Reed
Lead, Welding
Certified welding inspector specializing in structural and pipe fabrication.
22 yrs experienceDani Okafor
Lead, Carpentry
Master carpenter and former site foreman on commercial framing crews.
19 yrs experienceRay Mendoza
Lead, Electrical
Licensed master electrician across residential, commercial, and industrial work.
24 yrs experienceTina Brooks
Lead, Automotive
ASE-certified master technician who ran a busy independent service shop.
18 yrs experience
Inside our campus
Workshops built like real job sites
Fully outfitted welding bays, framing floors, wiring labs, and service bays — the same gear you'll use on the job.
Accreditation
Accredited, licensed, and recognized
Craft Trades is a nationally accredited career school. Our programs meet industry standards and prepare you for recognized trade certifications.
2009Year founded
6Accredited trade programs
14,000+Graduates trained
92%Job placement rate
Come build your future with us
If you're ready to learn a trade, we're ready to put the tools in your hands. The next cohort starts soon.