The Ottawa County Workforce Hub hosted a ribbon cutting on Aug. 18. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

OAK HARBOR – Vision, collaboration, drive and sacrifice were just as much a part of the building blocks of the new Ottawa County Workforce Hub in Oak Harbor as the wood and the nails that built the walls. Without that intangible foundation, the structural classrooms wouldn’t exist. But it does, thanks to the dedication of people, organizations and government leaders across the county.

On Aug. 18, local leaders gathered for a ribbon cutting for the Ottawa County Workforce Hub for Career Advancement, the new home of the Skilled Trades Academy, Healthcare Careers Academy and the new Hospitality & Tourism Academy. When OCIC Director of Workforce Innovation, Katherine Adams, cut the ribbon, she opened the door to sustainable careers for countless students.

The Workforce Hub was created thanks to collaboration across the county. The Hub is a project of the Ottawa County Business Advisory Council (BAC) and the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation (OCIC). The Hub moved to its present site, a county-owned building, thanks to the generosity of the Ottawa County Commissioners. The Workforce Hub programs are operated by Vanguard Sentinel Career & Technology Centers (VSCTC), which invested about $650,000 in state grant funds into new equipment for the Skilled Trades Lab.

Hospitality & Tourism Academy Instructor Erin Wicks will teach the program’s very first class. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

The Skilled Trades program started in a garage. Today, it boasts a state-of-the-art lab that will train county high school seniors and, in the future, will be utilized for adult education classes.

“Vanguard is responsible for a lot of the equipment. We have a great partnership with Vanguard,” said Port Clinton Schools Superintendent Pat Adkins. “We couldn’t do this without Vanguard, the county commissioners, Katherine Adams and (OCIC President) Chris Singerling. Thank you for having this vision.”

VSCTC Superintendent Greg Edinger is grateful for the partnership.

“We’re honored and proud to be here, and we’re looking forward to what is next,” Edinger said. “Our partnership with Katherine and Pat was instrumental. Pat was 100% all in. This program started like a workshop and now look at it.”

Healthcare Careers Academy students will walk away from their senior year of high school will skills and certifications to advance their futures. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

There was little time between conception and completion of the Workforce Hub, but there was a compassion force behind the project who wants what is best for Ottawa County students.

“This is impressive, especially on such short notice. It was an aggressive timeline,” said Ottawa County Commissioner Mark Coppeler. “There is a driving force here, and that is Katherine Adams.”

Adams said she didn’t do it alone.

“This was a really huge project. I don’t know if I have enough words to say how much this was a community effort,” she said.

BAC President Clay Finken is grateful the community embraced the project.

The Skilled Trades Academy features a state-of-the-art lab thanks to the generosity of Vanguard Sentinel Career & Technology Centers. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

“It’s setting an example for the next phase for career tech in the State of Ohio,” Finken said. “Thank you to everyone for saying yes.”

The very first Hospitality & Tourism students were welcomed to the Workforce Hub this school year. They will learn from instructor Erin Wicks.

“We’ll really focus on the front-facing customer skills, like retail merchandise, lodging management, marketing and event planning,” Wicks said. “I’m super excited. I’m excited to hone in on getting to know them and indulge their interests in this sector.”

Like the other two programs, the Hospitality & Tourism Academy will help build a needed workforce for the county.

“We have such a large need for workforce in this field, with beautiful Lake Erie right here,” Wicks said. “We have really talented kids here, and we want to show them how to be successful in our area. There are a lot of opportunities right here at home.”