School counselors and educators in the Mahoning Valley are helping students see the building trades not as a backup plan, but as a real path to a sustainable career.
There were at least two dozen attendees at a March 19 presentation by Affiliated Construction Trades Ohio Foundation (ACT Ohio), at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 396 JATC in Boardman. The event was hosted by Mahoning Valley Skilled Trades, The Builders Association, and Western Reserve Building Trades.
A pipeline to the trades
The program focused on apprenticeship pathways and the important role educators can play in helping students connect with those careers.
“It’s making that link from inside the school to outside, getting them into the apprenticeships,” said Ken Reid, association services director for The Builders Association.
According to ACT Ohio, the Mahoning Valley is ahead of much of the state when it comes to helping students explore careers in the building trades.
“You are really lucky in this part of the state of Ohio,” Kitty McConnell, director of communications, marketing and outreach for ACT Ohio, told the group during the presentation. “Your group in this part of Ohio is very plugged into what’s happening in the trades.”
She also acknowledged the demands school counselors are facing as they try to guide students through more career options with fewer resources.
“The weight that’s on counselors shoulders right now cannot be underestimated,” McConnell said.
Understanding the demand
That challenge comes at a time when more students need help understanding what career paths are available to them and how to pursue them. Presenters said that matters even more as Ohio continues to see heavy construction activity and strong demand for skilled workers.
McConnell pointed to growth across technology, EV manufacturing, utilities, electrical grid upgrades, higher education and health care as major drivers of construction demand.
“Ohio is the epicenter of private development in the United States right now,” McConnell said, adding that the level of activity translates into millions of construction man-hours that need to be filled.
The presentation also gave counselors a realistic view of what apprenticeship programs expect from applicants.
Marty Loney, business manager for Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 396, said technical skills can be taught, but employers are also looking for students who show professionalism from the start.
“Communication is big, especially in the field,” Loney said. “Basic math, measurement and fractions are still important, but students do not need to know everything before they apply. Programs are designed to teach the trade, while professionalism and work ethic are harder to build later.”
A clear picture of careers
The event ended with a tour of the Local 396 training center, where educators learned about the apprenticeship curriculum and opportunities available for plumbers and pipefitters.
That firsthand exposure reinforced one of the day’s clearest messages: Students are more likely to consider these careers when they can picture what the work looks like.
For Kristin Kmetz, a teacher at Lakeview Middle School, that starts early. Every student at her school takes a career and technical education class, and older students have additional career-focused instruction designed to expose them to as many options as possible.
“A lot of students need help picturing what these jobs look like day to day,” Kmetz said. “If they could see more videos or a day-in-the-life look at careers like an ironworker or plumber and pipefitter, it would help them realize, ‘I could do that,’ especially for kids who are still trying to figure out where they fit.”
Loney said that’s exactly why keeping educators engaged matters.
“I think making sure that we keep our lines of communication open with them is important because they’re the ones students trust,” Loney said. “We can do all the advertising and marketing, but if kids and their parents don’t know us, the school districts are often the ones helping guide them.”
Click here for more information about apprenticeships and career pathways.
