As part of the “Constructing a Pathway to Careers” initiative at Woodward Career Technical High School, students are working alongside faculty members and construction industry professionals this summer to construct a new residence in the Bond Hill area.
Following the groundbreaking ceremony on May 25th, students from the school began work on the vacant lot at 1203 Ryland Avenue in the Bond Hill area. Purchased by the Greater Cincinnati Construction Foundation, the lot will be the site of a single-family, ADA compliant structure. Students want the house ready for a disabled veteran or senior member of the community to be able to buy the house.
“Our students would like the community of Bond Hill to know how excited they are to carry out this project,” said Shauna Murphy, principal at Woodward Career Technical High School. “They live in the neighborhood and want a chance to be stewards of their community.”
Through this project, students are gaining a variety of professional and trade skills that will allow them to interview for jobs almost immediately. This project could lead them to positions with professional companies as carpenters, finishers, pipe fitters, project managers, electricians and more. Students are leaving high school with associate degrees and a possibility of making $60,000 to $80,000 a year in these trade positions.
Students graduating from the Woodward Building Technologies Academy at Woodward Career Technical High School have participated in field trips to construction sites, out-of-town building experiences, competitions and a community building project, job shadow or co-op. This ensures that between education and hands-on practice, these students can take entry-level positions in a construction firm or pursue further education.
Career Enrichment Coordinator Carmen Gaines recently shared that the project is going as planned thus far, saying the entire house has been framed at the school and will be transported to the lot on Ryland.
“This year, we received our credential as a State of Ohio Pre-Apprenticeship Program, offering our students OSHA 10 & 30 certifications, NCCER certification, Construction Management, Welding, Electrical, and Carpentry skills, all alongside their high school diploma,” says Gaines.
The project is a partnership with Impact 100, Allied Construction Industries, Cincinnati Public Schools, the Greater Cincinnati Construction Foundation and others. Warsaw Federal is currently seeking applications for a buyer, as completion of the house is slated for September 2019.
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