Description
Love working with your hands? Want a career with purpose? The Preserve Montana Trades Corps is calling. Train in traditional building trades, restore historic places, and gain real-world experience alongside expert mentors.
Location: Helena, MT
Dates: June 1 - July 31, 2026
Travel Requirements: 50%, transportation provided
Wage: $600/week living wage
Available Positions: Three (3)
SUMMARY
Build your hands-on preservation trades skills with the Preserve Montana Trades Corps, a pre-apprenticeship training program grounded in context-based learning. The nine-week training program is a boots-on-theground solution to the workforce shortage in the preservation trades. It is designed to train young adults in the traditional building trades, give them experience on a career path in preservation carpentry and construction trades, and preserve rural historic properties across Montana.
Corps members work alongside Preserve Montana’s skilled restoration staff on real-world projects across rural Montana. You will learn and develop skills in several historic trades, such as window restoration, preservation carpentry, log work, and general building maintenance. The ideal candidate is excited about hands-on trades work and building a career in the traditional building trades. Corps members must be able to commit to the training program in its entirety.
Skills Training & Certifications
- Certifications:
- Historic Preservation Fundamentals
- OSHA 10
- Hand-tool and machinery use/safety
- Historic building documentation and condition assessment
- Trainees will be exposed to the following traditional building crafts and skills, dependent on projects:
- Carpentry and joinery
- Historic finishes
- Roofing
- Masonry
- Timber framing
- Historic building maintenance
BENEFITS
- Housing
- $500 round-trip travel allowance for relocation
- Uniform and tools
- Federal holidays
- Transportation to off-site projects
For more information about the Trades Corps visit: https://preservemontana.org/preserve-montana-trade-corps/.
Requirements
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Strong interest in history, historic preservation, traditional building trades, construction trades, architecture, engineering or related fields. Experience or education in any of these fields is not required.
- Must be between 18 and 29 years of age.
- Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent legal resident. Must possess a high school diploma or GED certificate.
- Must be able to commit to training program dates: June 1 – July 31, 2026.
- Must be willing and able to use hand and power tools to complete projects.
- Must be willing and able to camp in the outdoors up to a week at a time.
- Physical effort is heavy to moderate for this position and requires occasional lifting or handling of objects or materials up to 50lbs, unassisted, following proper lifting procedures to avoid injury. Frequently required to stand while working, climb ladders or scaffolding, and bend, stoop, climb, and work in awkward positions.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Apply online at https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/yCTP_Dqyw30uEFletkT6xQ.
For more information visit www.preservemontana.org. Questions can be directed to Restoration Director Eli Smith at eli@preservemontana.org.
Application deadline: March 30, 2026, at 5:00pm MST.
