Scouting the Future of the Skilled Trades

MIAMI TOWNSHIP, OH — The demand for skilled workers only keeps increasing. It is estimated that 2.4 million skilled trades positions will go unfilled by 2028 due to the lack of qualified and trained candidates. 

One project hoping to address this critical need is happening now in Miami Township, Ohio, where the Dan Beard Center is breaking ground on a new, 9,200 sq. ft. Skilled Trades Education Center at Camp Friedlander. Through workshops and skilled instruction, the Center will expose young people to the trades and hopes to set many of them on the path to good-paying careers in plumbing, carpentry, electronics and more. 

Moreover, it is hoped the Center will become a hub for collaboration, where Greater Cincinnati businesses will be able to sponsor and teach classes in their industry’s sector to interested young men and women which will encourage students to explore career options and industries from a young age.

When finished the Center will include six bays for specialized work in specific skill areas: Welding, Automotive, Metalworking/Plumbing, Carpentry/woodworking, Electricity/Electronics, and Robotics.

Scouting America

The Dan Beard Council is the administrative body of Scouting America in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. With a geographic area of 12 counties in Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky and an average annual membership of 10,000 families, the Dan Beard Council is one of the larger metropolitan councils in the country and the largest youth organization in the Cincinnati area. 

The Council administers the Scouting program through seven districts, providing volunteer support, training, program opportunities, and administrative services such as membership and advancement records, new unit development, and unit fundraising opportunities.

A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, council operations are completely funded by the Friends of Scouting annual giving campaign, corporate sponsorships, and activity revenue such as the annual popcorn sale.

From Idea to Reality

Keith Lawrence is on the Dan Beard Council Board of Directors and is Head of the Skilled Trades Education Center Steering Team. After a 32-year career at Proctor and Gamble, Lawrence started teaching at local high schools and got involved in the Scouts. 

“I would run into people who had been Eagle Scouts, and find out that, back when they were 12-13 they went and earned a skilled trades merit badge that got them so excited they ended up going to a trade school,” Lawrence explains. “One of them just recently graduated from high school working for CAT Ohio, making $80,000 a year with great benefits.”

Lawrence’s father, a WWII veteran, had been a machinist at General Electric and started a machine shop  that did skills training at a local high school. So, to honor his father and in the spirit of giving back to the community, Lawrence approached Andrew Zahn, CEO of the Council, with his idea for the center.

The last year has been given to fundraising the $2.5 million needed to make the idea a reality. “It couldn't have happened without many, many local company businesses and individuals contributing money, equipment, manpower and people to come teach the trades to the students,” Lawrence says. “We're expecting 500 or so students to be able to go through this facility beginning next year. Again, it’s all done through volunteer work.”

Lawrence hopes to raise still more money through contributions from the Ohio business community for a full-time, paid staff. And the business community has been responsive. “We also have summer camps and a trade fair,” Lawrence says. “I can't count how many companies showed up because they get to meet these students make a contact, get the students’ names. This is all about building the pipeline.”

May 22nd is the official groundbreaking with shovels in the dirt. The building’s grand opening—as well as first classes—are scheduled for November.

The Center is still seeking contributions to help continue its mission. To learn more about how you can contribute to the future of the Skilled Trades Education Center, visit https://danbeard.org/, or contact the CEO of the Dan Beard Council Andy Zahn at [email protected].