21 students graduate from Building Futures program

America’s Workforce Radio, host Ed “Flash” Ferenc and Executive Secretary Treasurer for the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Dorsey Hager talked during a recent episode about the first graduating class from the Building Futures program.

Dorsey Hager

Dorsey Hager, C/COBCTC Executive Secretary-Treasurer

The C/COBCTC partnered with IMPACT and Franklin County to reach out to underserved areas of the community and offer job training, which will allow students to enter directly into an apprenticeship with one of the area’s building trades. The program also works to remove other barriers that may prevent men and women from starting a career.

Hager said 21 students graduated from this initial 12-week class and they are now apprentices in one of six different trades.

A second Building Futures class is expected to begin in mid-May.

America's Workforce Radio Host Ed "Flash" Ferenc

America’s Workforce Radio Host Ed “Flash” Ferenc

They also discussed several projects including Phase I and Phase II of the Franklin County Correction Center project and the expansion of the Columbus Hilton Hotel.

The hotel expansion project will make the Hilton the city’s only 1,000-room hotel and help bring major conferences and other events, such as the NCAA Women’s Final Four, to Columbus. The addition of the 22-story tower will create 400 building trades jobs. Hager expects the design to be complete by summer, bids to come in during November and ground breaking shortly thereafter.

Discussion then turned to politics, where Hager said he and other members of the C/COBCTC are working to identify building trades candidates running for Statehouse seats. He stressed the importance of continuing to build a Statehouse majority who support the trades and the issues they back.

Click here to listen to the interview.

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