Investing in Tomorrow’s Carpenters
Morse Constructions fast-tracked one employee’s career, modeling how other companies can partner with NBSS to advance their workforce and continue reaching their goals well into the future.
In 2019, Eric Keyes and his wife, Kristi Keyes, took over Morse Constructions, a family-owned, design-build firm with an established reputation in Greater Boston. Five years into leading their 15-person team, the Keyes had built a thriving business defined by integrity and smooth communicatoin with clients. But they were also facing a looming industry-wide problem: the dwindling number of skilled carpenters entering the field, just as many veteran carpenters prepare to retire.
“It is really difficult to find skilled carpenters, and as a small company, we don’t have the capacity to run an apprenticeship program on our own,” explains Kristi, who leads marketing at Morse.
That’s when Eric got an idea.
Decades earlier, Eric, then a real estate consultant and owner’s representative on commercial construction projects, had taken a Community Education woodworking class at North Bennet Street School (NBSS). “Eric built three shaker boxes and thought NBSS was an incredible place,” Kristi recalls. “We’ve followed the School since then, reading Benchmarks magazine and email updates. Now in a position of employing carpenters, Eric wondered, ‘What if we offer an individual an opportunity for us to invest in them by sponsoring them to go to NBSS, and then, in return, they work for us for a few years?’”
“I thought it was a fantastic idea,” says NBSS Carpentry Instructor Brock Leiendecker PC ’16 of his first conversation with the Keyes. “The School is the perfect atmosphere for someone to make huge strides, learn through doing, and drastically increase their skill set and comfort level to then go back to a company and perform at another level. That employee is going to ramp up their education so much more than if they were attempting to learn on-site from veteran carpenters who need to primarily focus on the client’s needs.” Plus, the model had already been a proven success at NBSS—in 2023, the Boston Public Library sponsored an outstanding employee to attend the Locksmithing & Security Technology program.
The Keyes knew exactly who they wanted to sponsor: Matty Dickman CA ’26, a recently hired Morse employee who impressed them with his character and work ethic.
“I knew going to school would give me so many opportunities,” Matty shares. “On a job site, it’s hard to let the new guy learn something that could cost money if a mistake is made. When I asked around about NBSS after Eric and Kristi shared their idea, everyone said, ‘That’s the school to go to, if you can.’”
“Matty is an amazing individual, and we knew it was worth investing in someone like that,” Kristi says. “The idea was still a risk for him, because he would only be working on Fridays while in school, but it also offered a big gain. It has turned out to be a wonderful experience.”
“The School has been such a great environment,” Matty says. “I’ve become friends with the other students, and the instructors clearly have an interest in the trade that goes beyond the 9-5 workday, and are always excited to help students with new projects or networking. The most beneficial part is that it’s not a risk for me to try things. That has been so helpful to my growth.”
On Fridays and over breaks, Matty worked with Morse on a house remodel in Beverly, Massachusetts, and also completed his practicum week with Morse in the spring.
“As the year went on, I was able to use what I was learning and hop on new tasks for Morse, like installing doors and windows,” Matty says. “The veteran carpenters were really interested in hearing about the School.”
“During Matty’s spring practicum, our production manager commented that he was so much more sure of himself,” Kristi says. “And we appreciate that the program wants students to be versatile. An example Brock gave us is that instructors teach students three ways to cope, which means bringing two inside corners of wood together. That way, if they encounter carpenters who have one way of coping, the NBSS grads can say, ‘Sure, let’s do it your way.’ NBSS understands the reality of job sites.”
“Matty has seen all of the curriculum in a very accelerated environment, and he’s absorbed it really well,” Brock notes. “His questions have become more pointed over the course of the year. He’s developed quite a lot of hand skills and is much more comfortable with the tools, milling, and technical work.”
Morse has already decided to send a second early-career employee to NBSS in the fall.
“I believe more and more employers are going to come to us looking for solutions to fill the skill gap they’re experiencing, and we welcome them to see NBSS as the apprenticeship program for their company,” Brock says. “For that employee who is the right fit, send them to us for the fundamentals of residential construction. We’ll cover everything from framing and interior and exterior finishes to building codes and how to overlap with subcontractors. We will provide that foundation so your employee can bring all that back to your company.”
Interested in sponsoring one of your employees to train in any of our eight disciplines? Reach out to our Admissions team at admissions@nbss.edu for more info.
This story is from our Summer 2026 issue of Benchmarks magazine. Read more stories from the issue or view past issues.
