U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown announced the construction of the Butler Warren County Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Center (JACT) in Liberty Township, Ohio. A grant from the U.S. Department of Economic Administration will provide $1.5 million for the 19,900-square-foot project.
The new facility will train workers to have the necessary skills to obtain secure union jobs with great pay. The project is said to generate $20 million in private investment, create an expected 300 jobs, and retain another 200 jobs.
“As we position Ohio to lead in the industries of the future, we need to make sure the next generation of Ohioans have the skills they need to succeed,” said Senator Brown. “The Butler Warren County Joint Apprenticeship Training Center will prepare students for careers in the trades and expand opportunities for more Ohioans to get good-paying, union jobs.”
The $1.5 million grant is expected to cover roughly 50% of the funding needed to complete the facility, which will cover the 4300 block on Millikin Road. The IBEW Local Union 648 will own the building and lease the land to the new JACT training facility.
Robert Angst, training director for Butler Warren Country Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Center, says, “We’re busting at the seams here. We’re looking to expand our hands-on lab area and update the program to allow more space so we can start taking on more apprentices and have an updated apprenticeship model.”
Angst confirmed they contracted a company to write grants to aid in expanding their facility, and it took more than a year to apply for the funding they received through the U.S. Economic Development Administration. However, the bank processes, documented, and working with EDA representatives have paid off. The EDA stated that partnering will boost the capacity for electrical trade apprenticeships, preparing Butler and Warren County residents for quality jobs and economic resilience.
Once the zoning process is completed and approved, the facility construction will take an estimated 8-12 months.
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