Program inspires young women to pursue skilled trades
PERRYSBURG – Owens Community College hosted more than 80 students from 10 area high schools Thursday for Jill of All Trades, an event that focused on learning about skilled trades.
“We’re excited to provide this chance for young people to explore a future in the skilled trades,” Owens president Dr. Dione D. Somerville said. “With the help of Jill of All Trades, we believe its our mission to expose young people to potential careers and all of the things they could do with a future in the skilled trades.”
Jill of All Trades was started in 2014 in Canada, providing hands-on experiences to young women in grades 9-12, and introducing them to the possibilities of a career in skilled trades. Owens is the only institution in the United States to host the event.
Students were split into 12 groups, with each participating in three different workshops. Held at the Dana Center, Welding Design Center and Transportation Technology buildings on the Toledo-area campus, workshop topics included robotics, welding, CNC/machining, auto service and repair, crane rigging and diesel technology.
Wearing an orange long-sleeved shirt with Jill of All Trades embossed on the front, St. Ursula’s CK Kramer said she was there to “properly explore all of my options before fully committing to something.
“My dad used to take me to the Home Depot building workshops when I was a kid and that made me really like doing stuff with my hands and building things, so that was probably a big influence,” said Kramer.
During the event, she was placed in the Robotic Rebels group, where she learned how to code robots.
She said she learned that coding robots is very difficult but liked working with machines. In one of the workshops, she used a hack saw to cut through aluminum. “I liked that because it was more hands on than the robots.
“It was very fun and I hope they do it again next year,” Kramer said.
The goal of the program was to address the skilled trades workforce needs of the future, an issue Owens is at the forefront of, with its wide variety of programs, certificates and associates degrees.
“High school students and their parents have this idea that you need to spend a lot of money and go to a four-year college, but that’s just not true,” said Owens director of Admissions Erin Kramer.
“We have programs, certificates and two-year programs at Owens that can help young people achieve their dreams and goals for their futures,” she added.
Students began and ended their day at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, where program sponsors were set up with information about working in the trades.
Sponsors of the event were presenting sponsor Buckeye Broadband, Owens Corning, Magna, Enbridge, Mechanical Contractors Association of Northwest Ohio, Hancock Steel, First Solar, The Andersons, First Energy, Advanced Technology Consultants, Dunbar, Rudolph Libbe Group, Taylor Automotive Family, HIAB, Air Force One, Principle Business Enterprises, Barnes, University of Findlay, A-Gas and Integrated Systems Technologies.
To learn more about the Owens School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, please visit owens.edu/stem.
