SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A carpenter school will soon be bringing people from across the Northeast to Onondaga County.

Members of the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters broke ground on a $5.5 million training center in Syracuse Wednesday.

The two-story, 17,000 square-foot facility will be built at 6920 Princeton Court, featuring three state-of-the-art classrooms, AV equipment, and skilled instructors.

Apprentice and journeymen carpenters will have hands-on training in scaffolding, welding and other specialties.

Officials say learning a trade is a great opportunity for anyone looking for work.

"We have great benefits, the health care, the pension for retirement, we got the annuity program. so there are really a lot of benefits that they may not see out there in the corporate world if they graduated from college and cannot find a job,” said Northeast Carpenters Union Regional Manager Dave Haines

The group currently has more than 2,600 members. The center is expected to be complete sometime next summer.