Local Scouts tackle skilled worker shortage with new educational facility

by Noell Wolfgram Evans

There are those who will see the construction of a Skilled Trades Education Center at Peninsula-based Camp Manatoc as a wholly new venture. But Brian Battaglia sees it as logical step for the forward-thinking Scouting Americaorganization. 

“This is just an expansion of something that Scouting America has done for over 100 years now. We have always had a very career-centric focus with our work,” said Battaglia, a Hudson resident who serves as skilled trades education program director for the local Great Trail Council.

As Battaglia explained, most of the council’s badges are already skill-based. In recent years, Great Trail, which serves Scouts in Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Summit, Trumbull and Northern Wayne counties, has specifically focused on addressing the growing need for skilled trades workers. In April, Forbes magazine estimated that there were over one million unfilled skilled trades jobs with another 345,000 new roles expected by 2028. 

The all-new, 3,000-square-foot facility, completely centered on improving skilled trades awareness and aptitude, was envisioned as a way to close the gap. Construction is currently underway.

“This is an absolutely novel concept and approach to fill the trades gap,” Battaglia said. “It’s a huge win for everyone in the area – our youth, the school districts, businesses. It helps our infrastructure and economy as a whole.”

When the building is complete, an estimated 7,000 students annually will be able to take classes and go through various programs there. Battaglia said the center “will have some very merit badge-specific programs for Scouting units,” but has also partnered with 85 school districts across the region to offer programs to sixth- through ninth-graders. Regardless of Scouting affiliation, school districts will be able enroll middle school students for classes. 

“There will be some tuition requirements, but some of that can be offset by grants and scholarships, and some will be paid by the district,” Battaglia said.

The project is being supported by a mix of public and private investments, which, Battaglia said, is “very emblematic of the significance of the issue.” One of the partnerships organizers are most proud is a collaboration with BlueForge Alliance, a historic effort to build the Navy’s next generation of submarines. That connection is courtesy of Scouts alignment with the U.S. Department of Defense, according to Battaglia. 

While the list of available classes is still being finalized, they will encompass carpentry, plumbing and electrical sciences. There will even be opportunities for welding, HVAC exploration and 3D design and modeling. 

“What we hope to do,” Battaglia said “is to have a first-year project that you can work on here and then take home and then when you come back the next year, there is a second-year project that builds on the skills you learned the previous year.” 

These projects will be more than just mementos. “I want that project to sit on their dresser and act as a reminder of what they can do,” he said. 

During construction, Battaglia’s team is focused on recruiting instructors who will shape the curriculum and serve as “enthusiastic mentors.” Ground was broken on the Truxall Road site on Sept. 9, with plans to open the doors officially in early to mid-January. “This will address a need that crosses political, ethnic, and gender lines. It is an opportunity to do good,” Battaglia said. “What I really hope is that anyone who comes to a class or a program here walks away from the experience with a greater understanding of what a career in the trades are like.” 

Photo caption: Helping break the ground for a Skilled Trades Education Center are (l-r) Paul Beck, Sam Belcher, Dan Sublett, David Harman, Rep. Bill Roemer, Patrick Scherer, Don Taylor, Chas Schreckenberger, Tim McNutt and Ed Kender. Photo submitted.