Reading a blueprint, laying out a wall, measuring angles and driving nails might sound like a typical day on a construction site.
Those were the four stations waiting for more than two dozen high school students during the pre-apprentice competition at the Mahoning Valley Skilled Trades Expo.
Students competed in days two and three of the expo, putting skills they have learned in their school districts’ pre-apprenticeship programs to the test in a timed, hands-on setting designed to resemble situations they could encounter on a real job site.
“It gets them thinking, ‘What’s being asked, and how do I get it done?’ Then, they have to measure accurately and put those skills to work. It’s timed, but accuracy matters, too,” said Dan Sustin, director of education for Ohio with the Central Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters.
Sustin was among the carpentry professionals helping oversee the competition at the expo.
Building connections that lead to careers
Nearly 1,000 students across 18 schools in the region are enrolled in pre-apprenticeship programs through Career Connections, a curriculum created by the Carpenters International Training Fund to introduce students to the construction industry.
For some students, the competition offers an early chance to experience those skills firsthand.
United Local had three of students earn top spots. One of them was freshman Anthony Russo. His teacher, Rebecca Teutsch, encouraged him to compete when additional spots became available.
Winners from both days include:
First place: Luke Gruber, United Local and Drake Benson, Springfield Local
Second place: Will O’Brien, Brookfield and Ethan Logan, United Local
Third place: Anthony Russo, United Local and Zach Holverstadt, MCCTC
Interest in the trades continues to grow
Programs that expose students to construction careers are becoming increasingly important as contractors look ahead to future workforce needs.
“The contractors are concerned about where they’re going to get the rest of the workforce from, because they’re bidding work all the way past 2030,” Sustin said. “That’s where events like this come in – to put these options in front of high schoolers.”
Sustin said vocational schools have waiting lists and traditional high schools are reaching out for resources to offer more industrial arts opportunities.
That growth is creating a need for more apprenticeship training.
Making room for what’s next
The Ohio Carpenters Apprenticeship currently operates four training centers across the state. A fifth is planned for North Jackson and will serve carpenters, millwrights, pile drivers and floor layers.
Sustin said the Northeast Ohio training center in Richfield currently serves about 1,200 apprentices and needs additional classroom space. The North Jackson facility will help relieve some of that pressure while providing a closer training option for many apprentices from the Mahoning Valley and surrounding areas.
“If we opened it today, there would be 300 apprentices that would immediately be able to fill that school,” Sustin said.
John Sofranko, senior representative with the Central Midwest Carpenters, said enrollment at the new center could eventually grow beyond that initial number.
“It’s going to be amazing. I think it’s something that’s long overdue for our area,” Sofranko said.
From high school classrooms and competitions to formal apprenticeship training, those opportunities are helping create a clearer pathway into the building trades.
“The pre-apprenticeship program is a gateway to the future of our building trades workforce,” said Ken Reid, association services director, The Builders Association. “It gives young people a chance to discover these careers early while creating a strong pipeline of skilled talent our industry will need for years to come.”
For questions about the pre-apprenticeship program, reach out to Ken Reid.
