The Kenton County Fiscal Court has solidified an agreement with Enzweiler Building Institute to provide skilled trades training to 240 public and private high school students and 400 adults over the coming years.
The county has also committed to assist the Institute with operational and gap financing for the full build out of the institute’s new Covington location on Winston Avenue in Latonia.
Students participate in a post-secondary carpentry class at the Enzweiler Building Institute’s Covington Campus (Photo from BIA NKY)
The funding will help to fill the shortage of skilled workers in the construction industry caused by the pandemic. A total of over $3.5 million dollars was committed to the program by Kenton County. The partnership will support high schools in a program that will allow students to attend an introduction to trades program Monday through Thursday during the normal school year. High school students will receive four credit hours towards their high school diploma and gain valuable connections with the opportunity to work in a traditional or co-op program in the field their senior year.
“We are excited about this amazing opportunity to introduce Kenton County residents to the skilled construction trades,” said Brian Miller, executive vice president of the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky. “As we have been experiencing accelerated increases in construction wages, coupled with what seems an insurmountable challenge to fill the industry’s workforce impacted by the pandemic, this is an outstanding opportunity for those in Kenton County to establish a lifelong career with rewarding living wages.”
The funding will also help create new intensive 13-week courses. Those programs include electric, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, masonry, carpentry, plumbing, welding, facilities maintenance and remodeling, and historic renovation through the Covington Academy of Heritage Trades. Classes will be held between 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with first courses beginning September 18. A portion of the funding will offset the salaries of professional construction trades people who will serve as instructors.
Additional services are expected to be provided by the Life Learning Center through a future funding opportunity and partnership with Kenton County. This will enable the clients of Life Learning Center to learn construction trades while adding to their life skills as the program develops.
“Partnering with the Enzweiler Building Institute to build our skilled trades workforce will address a significant need in the community, while helping 640 Kenton County residents individually elevate their skill sets and long-term earning potential,” said Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann. “It’s a huge win for Kenton County to partner with the Building Industry Association to rebuild a sector of our workforce significantly impacted by the pandemic.”
Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky
This is such a wise investment of government resources in training young people in the building trades. Regardless of where technology leads us, there will always be a need for hands-on jobs in construction, building maintenance, and remodeling. Kudos to the Kenton Co. Fiscal Court!