Marlon Finley has always enjoyed helping young people. His passion for youth development led him to a job with the Boys & Girls Clubs, where he stayed for 18 years. But after a change in leadership forced him out of his position, Finley wondered what was next. His cousin, an electrician, suggested he consider the carpenter’s apprenticeship. But at age 36, with no prior experience, Finley wondered if he would be able to make it in a new industry.  

In the beginning, Finley admits he struggled to keep up with his classmates, most of whom were at least 10 years younger. “I was older than the teacher!” he laughs. Finley says he asked a lot of questions and often annoyed the rest of the group. But his curiosity paid off when he was invited to travel to Las Vegas with a group of outstanding apprentices during his third year. “It felt great to go from the bottom of the class to a resource for some of the guys. They were actually coming to ask me about getting jobs,” he said. 

Finley believes one of the benefits of becoming a carpenter later in life is that he’s more mature, which comes in handy in an industry where screaming is often the norm. “If I had gotten into [the trades] when I was younger, my attitude wouldn’t be the same,” he says. He adds that his experience with the Boys & Girls Clubs helped prepare him for some of the politics that can exist on a construction worksite because both jobs require you to maintain relationships to be successful. 

“People will tell you that you’ll make $60 an hour, but won’t tell you that you have to get out there and look for that job yourself.”

Finley says he’s been blessed to have had mentors throughout his life. But he says his mother, who raised nine children on her own, has always been his biggest inspiration. Finley says his mother always made sure he and his siblings never had to worry about where they would sleep or what they would eat. And the fact that all nine of them are alive and working today is a huge testament to her strength. It’s also a reminder to Finley, who is a father of three, that he has a lot to be thankful for. “After watching what she went through, I have no reason to complain,” he says. 

When asked about the future, Finley says he’d like to become a journeyman. He also hopes to eventually be able to combine his trade with his passion for youth development to create an organization that introduces young people to carpentry. Finley says he wants to promote the trades as an alternative to those who may not see college in their future. “Those are the kids I want to help. I want to let them know there’s always something to do,” he says. 

When he’s not working, Finley enjoys spending time with his children as well as many of the kids he worked with at the Boys & Girls Club. “When I left, I promised I would never leave them, no matter what,” he says. But when he wants to get away from it all, he heads to the section of his house where he’s set up his own music studio. “I used to rap,” he says. But the self-described music lover says he’s not crazy about any of the music on the radio these days. “I listen to today’s music to see where the kids are, but I’m like, ‘Y’all messed music up,’” he laughs.

“There are so many carpenters I know who have lost their houses.” 

Finley’s advice to anyone interested in carpentry is to save money to prepare for times when you may be out of work. “There are so many carpenters I know who have lost their houses,” he says. “People will tell you that you’ll make $60 an hour, but won’t tell you that you have to get out there and look for that job yourself.”

And when you are working, Finley says it’s important to work hard and be safe on the job site. “Carpentry is not like a regular job. You have to find your way quickly, and you have to have thick skin because there’s always going to be screaming and yelling. You just have to bust your butt because if not, you can end up out of a job,” he says.