From OWENS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Owens Community College has been to be selected as the first institution in the United States to host Jill of All Trades on Wednesday, Dec. 13 beginning at 8 a.m. in Veterans Hall on the Toledo-area Campus.
Established in 2014 in Canada, Jill of All Trades has been providing hands-on experiences to young women in grades 9-12 to introduce them to the possibilities of a career in skilled trades including advanced manufacturing and transportation.
The day-long event aims to inspire these women by providing a safe and engaging learning environment through workshops led by industry and college mentors.
“We are looking forward to engaging young women by creating an awareness of the vast possibilities of a skilled trades career; providing experiences through hands on workshops at Owens Community College and opportunities to network with local employers and industry partners during the event through display booths and industry mentors in workshops,” said Rosie Hessian, Director of Jill of All Trades.
This program’s goal is to help address the skilled trades workforce needs of the future. By introducing young women non-traditional trades and apprenticeships, this collaborative endeavor will allow Owens along with its partners to send a consistent message to young women, increase college enrollment in trades and apprenticeships, retain skilled trades workers, grow capacity and address gender diversity.
“With Owens situated along the I-75 corridor, we are in a unique position to be a driving force for the economy for our region through skilled trades,” said Dr. Dan Kelley, Dean of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at Owens. “These students will see why Owens is a leader in advanced manufacturing preparedness and how much of an impact this day could have on their future.”
This year, Owens is partnering with Penta Career Center to host its students for various workshops and mentorship opportunities.
In addition to the students from Penta Career Center, Owens will welcome elected officials and representatives from Buckeye Broadband, the event’s presenting sponsor, along with other sponsors: First Solar, Owens Corning, Advanced Technologies Consultants, Taylor Automotive Group, Barnes, First Energy, Magna, Enbridge, and Mechanical Contractors Association of Northwest Ohio.
For the full schedule, visit https://www.owens.edu/jillofalltrades/.
