Finishing Trades Institute – Upper Midwest (FTIUM)
Not every PSEO path runs through a lecture hall. The Finishing Trades Institute Upper Midwest (FTIUM) in Little Canada is the training arm of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 82, and it teaches hands-on finishing trades like commercial painting, drywall finishing, and glazing. For Minnesota high schoolers who learn by doing, it is one of the most unusual options on the state's PSEO list.
GPA Requirements
Juniors (11th Grade)
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Seniors (12th Grade)
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Program Details
About the PSEO program
Not every PSEO path runs through a lecture hall. The Finishing Trades Institute Upper Midwest (FTIUM) in Little Canada is the training arm of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 82, and it teaches hands-on finishing trades like commercial painting, drywall finishing, and glazing. For Minnesota high schoolers who learn by doing, it is one of the most unusual options on the state's PSEO list.
What makes FTIUM different is where it leads. Its Finishing Trades Academy is built to move students toward registered apprenticeships, and the school reports that a majority of its Worker Readiness completers place into apprenticeships. That means a junior or senior exploring FTIUM through dual enrollment is not just collecting credits, they are testing out a paid, debt-free career route while high school is still free.
FTIUM does not publish PSEO eligibility rules, deadlines, or a coordinator on ftium.edu, so the first step for any interested student is a direct conversation with the school. myPSEO can handle the NOSR form and signatures once you know FTIUM is a fit, but plan to call or email before you build your schedule around it.
Why choose Finishing Trades Institute – Upper Midwest (FTIUM) for PSEO
A direct line into union apprenticeships
FTIUM is run by IUPAT District Council 82, and its Finishing Trades Academy is designed to funnel completers into registered apprenticeships, where you earn while you train instead of paying tuition.
Hands-on trades you cannot take at most colleges
Commercial painting, drywall finishing, and glazing are specialized crafts that almost no other Minnesota PSEO institution teaches. If a toolbelt sounds better than a textbook, this is a rare fit.
A small, focused campus
FTIUM is a small trade school in Little Canada, so training happens in workshops with instructors from the industry rather than in large general-education classrooms.
A debt-free career test drive
Because PSEO covers tuition, a high school student can find out whether a finishing-trades career fits before committing to an apprenticeship or paying for training after graduation.
Programs & courses
Finishing Trades Academy
FTIUM's pre-apprenticeship pathway that introduces students to the finishing trades and prepares them for entry into union apprenticeship programs.
Commercial and industrial painting
Training in surface preparation, coatings, and professional painting techniques used on commercial buildings and industrial projects.
Drywall finishing
The craft of taping, mudding, and finishing interior walls to a professional standard, a core trade for IUPAT members across the Upper Midwest.
Glazing
Working with architectural glass and metal, from storefront systems to curtain walls, one of the higher-skill trades in the finishing family.
Campus & getting there
FTIUM's training center sits in Little Canada, a first-ring suburb just north of Saint Paul near the I-35E and Highway 36 interchange, which puts it within a reasonable drive of most of the east metro. This is workshop-based, in-person training, so there is no online option; students should plan for the commute and talk with FTIUM about how training hours fit around a high school schedule.
Will my credits transfer?
FTIUM training is career credentialing, not general-education coursework, so do not expect Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MNTC) goal areas or Transfer Pathways here. The value moves forward differently: skills and hours that count toward union apprenticeship standing with IUPAT District Council 82. If your plan includes a bachelor's degree someday, pair FTIUM questions with a conversation with your counselor; if your plan is a skilled trade, this credential is the transfer.
Finishing Trades Institute – Upper Midwest (FTIUM) PSEO FAQ
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