The Training Center will be a collaborative educational center bridging a critical gap in the area of workforce development for youth nearing graduation. By capitalizing on existing partnerships, this project will meet critical regional needs while providing training and credentialing in high demand and stable jobs. Moreover, the space will also be a community educational center teaching tool use, repair & safety, and introducing tools, trades and disaster preparedness to organizations and residents.
The Training Center is a resource for the region to develop and implement programs that build a pipeline of skilled, diverse candidates for apprenticeships and careers in the construction industry. This will increase the number of independent adults throughout our region. This is transformative in two ways; it addresses the lack of access to skilled and high demand and well paying careers and it creates a LOCAL workforce to make improvements and repairs to the infrastructure and public spaces of our region. The Training Center will be a centralized hub for not only credentialed and skilled trades careers, it will also provide construction career exploration, job-readiness, and independent living training throughout the Tri-State resulting in an increase of skilled low-income, minority and/or female workers in the construction industry. The ToolBank has always lived its mission to help other organization be able to more fully live theirs, by providing the tools, equipment, and support needed to tackle necessary projects and put on resource generating events. Having this incredible space is a natural expansion of programming under this proven mission. The Cincinnati Community ToolBank already has established relationships and partnerships with local construction beacons, as well as school districts and local community organizations, who will be able to provide BOTH the instruction and the pipeline of students/residents. We have the space, the partners, and the very clearly articulated community want and regional need to serve in this way.
2nd FLOOR AMENITIES
At the end of 2023 the Cincinnati ToolBank unveiled its newly constructed:
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TRAINING CENTER
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OFFICES
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CO-WORKING SPACE
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MEETING ROOMS
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KITCHEN
All of which will be available to its nonprofit partners and member agencies. This project was made possible thanks to in-kind donations of labor and materials that had an estimated value exceeding $400,000 from local construction and trade companies. This significant contribution, coupled with a strategic investment of $190,000 from the ToolBank, will drive impactful workforce development opportunities and substantially contribute to the growth of the trades industry in the Cincinnati community.
PHOTO GALLERY
$400K
estimated value of in-kind donations & labor from local construction and trade companies
2,500 Hours
of labor donated from local trade companies
150 Gallons of Paint
that were donated from our friends at The Home Depot to finish off the space
10,500 sq ft
of metal studs and drywall donated by ClarkDietrich and Certainteed
CLASS SERIES
Now that our training center on the second floor is complete, we will be working with our partners at Allied Construction Industries (ACI) and our neighbors at Woodward Career Technical School to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for students and young adults. The Cincinnati ToolBank will also work with local building, contracting, and construction companies to schedule dedicated certifications to advance education options for those entering the trades. For more information on training and class offerings, contact Kat Pepmeyer at Kat.pepmeyer@toolbank.org.
BUILDING CHANGE
What is “Building Change?”
Building Change is Cincinnati ToolBank’s one-of-a-kind community give-back experience that empowers groups of volunteers of any age, background, or affiliation to build lasting change in their community.
Why should my team be involved in this event?
Team Building: Your team will have the opportunity to work side-by-side with other team members on a project designed to enhance our community.
Community Building: Participating teams will build various outdoor items (picnic tables, raised beds, compost bins, etc.) that will benefit nonprofits, schools, community centers & parks in our community.
General Volunteer Information
We appreciate your interest in utilizing our Tool Training Center and donating time to the ToolBank!
