Don't want to be in a Mafican Friday morning.
Slowly back with you on seven hundred WLW savoring and the delicious tiredness of a who day win, which is the opposite we've had in the past and Friday mornings. I like to talk about a variety of different things and not all newsy or I should say bad news. He related some of this good news out there, believe it or not, despite what we've been talking about, including last night shooting, and that would be this. We're making progress in a lot of areas.
You know.
We talked about the Duke Energy Convention Center going back online and that's going to reopen, and the hotel is about to be started as well, and then you talk about, hey, maybe a new arena, and of course the Brent Spence Bridge project is just about to be in full swing. It'll be orange barrel hell for a few years, but the end result is worth it. No more traffic jams in Mayhem over the Ohio River. But to do all those things you did and you still need and in
the future will need bodies to do it. And of course one of my causes here on the show is construction traits. I'm a SICKA fan for it because I realized that not everyone should go to school. I was one of those people, you know, but I got in back in the day when nell you needed was a check and a number two pencil. And today it's a
lot harder. The stakes are much higher, and we know people are going to the debt and now they're looking for the government and US taxpayer to bail them out because the model is broken.
So what about the trades?
Don't we understand we're making some inroads here locally, but at the same time, there's so much more to do. And on that is John Strasser, my buddy John Strasser, former CEO of Valley Interior Systems and Spirit of Construction fellow board member for a long time. He's been doing it since two thousand and three. And Amanda Smith is the executive director of the Spirit of Construction Foundation. Welcome, guys, How are you?
How is everybody?
Amanda?
Welcome in? Who day? Baby? Who Day? Got a man as mic on day? Is that it is that?
It?
Hi?
Hi?
Yeah, I don't know. It's technology. We have no idea what we're doing over here at LW. We have no idea. We're really bad at it. We're in communications business. How are you doing?
We're not very good at it? You guys. How's everything, John? I know you're at the game last night.
Yeah yeah, well worth the late evening.
Yeah, gotcha, And it was fun to watch on TV. So I got to bed before you did. But anyway, let's start with the need first of all. I know that we've made progress, and I'll start with you in this ghen real quick and then we may progress and getting people in the trades are starting to but there's still a lot more to be done.
Right, There's a lot to be done with the retirement age coming down a little bit in the trades, and the shorte of people getting interested in the trades. Last check I saw was we're sure about a million trades people across the United States.
Yeah yeah, and that number continues to grow despite younger people going hey, I want to get into the trades as well.
I brought that opportune in Cincinnati.
Is that you know, we hear about hey, there's no job opportunity, there's no opportunity for and what do you expect when kids are going to go in the street and try to hustle make money. We see these shootings until I'll relate the stupid beefs and they're not working and they're getting off the bus. And we've got all these job we're building the bridge right now, about to embark on this great You're gonna need thousands of jobs
out there. I mean, and I've said this before to the influencer, decision makers and the shits stakeholders are going, well, we just need.
More job their jobs right.
Literally, you guys will train people and put them to work the same day, won't you.
We will.
And we're actually starting in the fifth grade to starting your kids through the trades, through some of the curriculum we're dealing with, and we're getting exposed to educated towards and trained to have a job, a job ready come senior year.
Yeah, And there's no outline either. It's like we hook you up with the tools, we get to the training, we own the job. You're making money. My nephew who moved here from Oregon is is going to ic to be an electrician, and so he works during the day and then a night or two a week they send him to school to learn how to become an electrician. He doesn't pay for anything. He's making money along the way, and there's so many those opportunities out there. Heating, ventilating,
air conditioning. Work with my guys in the grimmy group, same thing. They do classes there to teach people with daycon how to do AC and within eight weeks they're on the job, they're making money. Plenty of opportunities like that in Cincinnati, and I'm so tired of hearing about there's no opportunity.
Yeah, the opportunities are you name the trade, plumbers, electricians, mechanical painters, finishers. I mean, everybody needs workers right now. And the push to get the kids exposed is making making a big difference.
Yeah.
Really, let's turn to the Spirit of Construction Foundation, Amanda, and were you come in where we came into to try and bridge that app with scholarships and learning and getting programs and schools.
Let's start with that.
I know when I was a board member with John, I know the big thing was, hey, we got in a woodward, you know.
We got shopped through the class back. But that's grown beyond that, right absolutely.
So.
The Spirit of Construction was started back in nineteen ninety six as a way to recognize and celebrate the construction industry, and that was initially done through our annual gala. And John here actually is one of our Lifetime Achievement Award winners this year. So every year at the annual Gala, we give out a Lifetime Achievement Award. What makes John's award so special this year is that his dad also won the Life Time Achievement war back in nineteen ninety nine,
so he's actually a second generation Lifetime honorees. So we're very excited to celebrate John at our gala this year.
So what you're saying is John's old.
I'm saying John's a big deal, is what I'm saying. John's amazing in his ego. He knows what we know, what he's done. But it just means you're It's just a nice way of saying, damn, you're old or a buffaloed a lot of people.
Now, no one's more deserving because because honestly working alongside you for a few years and just watching you the machine, that's the chance. I mean, he really, John's the guy who really drove this whole thing, and that's it's really cool to see and it's a well deserved.
So congratulations, So we're.
Excited so what started out as having an annual gala has grown into what it is today. And so beyond the Gala, which is our major fundraiser, all net proceeds from that gala go to three buckets of work that we invest in, scholarships, workforce development, and we give out mini grants to nonprofits focused on workforce development within the construction industry right.
And those grants are nice because you look at the organizations and that benefit from that is, you know, it's girls Scouts. So you go through the list here of organizations that get that and go, hey, we're putting these programs in. We're doing summer school, like a class where kids can do hands on building stuff and you know, use power tools from Milwaukee and you know, drill holes
and boards and see how buildings are put together. And when you have the house of hands on kid right as the more tactile than than just sitting there and wrote memorization. Had you done that for me, I think I would be I would have been in the trades. And I've been doing this, which a lot of people listening and say, well, I really wish we could do that in a tough way back machine. But some of us learn just by looking at it. And we're finally
doing that. We're finally learning how to teach and reach these kids. And you wonder, John, how many kids over the years may have dropped out of school or said I, I, I, this isn't for me because we're just sitting there and it's the same way we all learned is here's a teacher, here's a white boarder blackboard. Here, you're gonna have to memorize this. Look in the book, it's all theory. You
put the practical thing in. This is why you need shop math, for example, which you helped get into schools. It's reaching so many kids would fall into the cracks before. It's incredible.
Yeah, we're teaching kids how to take a tape measure and say half inch plus three quarters is one and a quarter. You and I understand that because we use a tape measure almost every day in the jobs and the trades, were the work we're doing around our homes. And by getting the kids exposed to this, we think that it's close to fifty percent of every student in the classroom as a visual learner, yeah, not a book learner. And the school system does not teach or focus on
these kind of kids. And now that we're doing it, we're gaining the opportunity putting a tape measure in their hand. Their eyes are opening up, they're understanding, they're looking up into the sky at this and understanding that, Hey, science ties in with math, and now a sudden, their grades are accelerating their attending class and it's making a difference.
Yeah, like algebra, I don't know numbers and letters, why do they need to go together? But you know, you start doing calculations, you start doing like your roof, slopes and stairs, and it's like, oh, I get it. Now this is where it's applicable in the real world. And I there was never that connection we're going to school, and now there is.
Yeah, and it's making a big difference. In the end, we're seeing kids come into the trades now with a direct impact.
Now, it takes time.
I mean when you start teaching in fifth grade, you know you've got a seven year process to get them through where they become the correct nation to being hired. But we're now, after the years of work we put in, we're starting to have kids now make that jump to the trades.
Yeah.
Again, it's a man a Smith, the executive director of Spiritual Construction Foundation, and John Strass are the former CEO of Valley Interiors here in Cincinnati, but they're all over the state. A board member there since two thousand and three, and he's going to be an honoree this year at the gala, which is coming up on the twenty.
Fifth, right, that's right next Saturday, full house, full house, record number thirteen hundred folks done at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. Next year is our thirtieth annual gala, so we're.
Excited about that.
But all proceeds from the gala actually are reinvested as a foundation. We are a funder and we reinvest those dollars back into workforce development within the trades and construction.
So part of that a scholarships you have went into like like seven hundred thousand dollars of years in scholarships, that's right.
So we've been doing scholarships since two thousand and four. We started by giving out scholarships at University of Cincinnati. This year alone, we gave out twenty five scholarships seventy eight thousand dollars, and those scholarships are first students at NKU and UC that are looking at construction management Cincinnati State as well. And then we also give scholarships to
military veterans that are looking at getting into construction. And for the first time ever this year we gave out skilled trade scholarships, so that's anyone that's interested in getting enrolled or as an incentive to keep them enrolled in skilled trades. So we're really proud of our scholarship program. Since two thousand and four, we've given out two hundred and seventy eight scholarships.
Yeah, and it's cool now because you get people fighting for the scholarship and saying, hey, we're doing this this and it's not a bating war, but you know, you want to see worthy best bank for the bucket's going to be. But it makes all those entities be sharp at what they're doing. Their focus, of course, is getting young people in the construction strads and I'm so happy to see that we are getting fifth graders now interested
in there. It used to be a tough sell to school public schools in Cincinnati John where they're like, yeah, you know we were find the way, where no, you're not. You're missing all these kids and it's so sad to me to think over the years, how many kids were
lost that they may have turned to a life. I mean, so let's face it, you know, you fall through the cracks, you drop out a school, life is it's not going to work out for you, and chances are going to depend on the system or in one way or the other. And we know what the outcome is. I mean, look at the violence happening in Cincinnati, and you wonder how many of those young lives could have been reached years before if we would have done this. But the good
news is we're making progress. So let's talk about the expansion into public schools and the life because I mentioned Woodward and the light bulb went off for I think a lot of people and they heard and this is years ago, and you'd be able to articulate this better than I can. But I recall going, hey, these are kids who are like on the margins, probably not doing well.
All of a sudden, we're teaching the trades, shop class, shop, math and stuff like that, and they went from literally on the board line of dropping out to being among the best performers in the.
School in the school itself, as far as academics go.
In twenty seventeen is when we started the program at Woodward and the first eleven students that were put into the program were very high risk. Two of the eleven dropped out of school fairly quick. The other nine continue through the program and graduated four years later. Seven went into the trades, two actually went into nursing, and one of the nine end up top five of the class academically.
And it was all because of the math program.
Yeah, because they could see it now and I think that that literally goes. I know it kept getting back to that, but that's a big thing. I think to get those mind, the hearts and mind change.
And then when you.
See the educators go wow, Okay, well maybe we're missing something here. Now it's spread like wildfire.
Yeah, we started it Woodward and teachers were talking to other teachers at other school systems, and maybe eight years later we're in thirty one school systems. That's unreal throughout the Ohio and Northy.
Could So it's making a comeback, but we still have a long way to go, right, Amanda. That's the thing is with the scholarship and the attention, the spirit of Construction Foundation, there's just so much more work so this is just just the start of things. I mean, thirty one schools from one is a lot in just a few short years, less than a decade. But you want to see that number in one hundreds, nowolute, how do you do that?
Well?
One of the ways is that we are making investments in workforce development programs. Specifically, as we've mentioned, we're targeting kids that are in middle school in Northern Kentucky. We supported a program called Trades Northern Kentucky. It started out in Campbell County schools reaching about two hundred and seventy middle schoolers. With our support and matching dollars from BNKY, they're now in Kenton County schools and in Homes Middle
School they're reaching over six hundred kids. And that's again providing exposure to the students about what is skilled trades, what does a career path look like? And then for the very first time, Trades in Northern Kentucky is having a Skilled Trades Career Fair in April of twenty six. And again, we just want to continue to provide exposure to students that you know, as you guys have talked about our visual learners, maybe not you know, planning on
going to college. But we want to tell the kids, but not only the kids, their parents, that skilled trades is a viable career path where you can make great money and have a really great future and great career if you pick it.
Do you feel like because of these students don't let the student debt and the long crisis and a host of other factors, that parents are starting to maybe wake up that way because on that long ago where and a lot of parents, some parents still do this. They look at their success as a parent by where the kid goes to college and not as that that's right.
I mean, there's still that stigma out there like, oh, my kid doesn't go to college and here or she it's shame and somehow it's shameful, and it's all that's marketing, is all that is. Are we starting to win that war of attrition or starting to win that war that the trades are noble and also a very enriching area.
To go Absolutely, and I think it's all about dollars and cents too. If we can show them that your child can earn to learn through an apprenticeship program, so right out of high school they're making money. They're not encouraging, they're not incurring college debt, and they're making a really great wage. I think that's the story that we have to get to parents that it's it's an exciting, honorable career that a lot of people, you know, find great joy in and it's okay to not go to college.
And so not only are we trying to tell the kids that, but we also need to tell their parents that as well.
Yeah, and hopefully that model is changing that the value of parenthood is not like where my kid went to school, or where I'm going to school, or you know, where the degree is from.
It's rather the fact is like are you being productive?
You know, can you afford a middle class or offera Pesson lifestyle? And a lot of folks who are in the trades right it's like, hey, you know the light bull goes off, Like my nephew's in electrical now, And I said, you know, when you're my age, though, you want to be the guy who owns the place that is hiring other electricians Like John, you're a family business at Valianteer, you know what I'm saying. But how many
guys do that? And women now that are learning and becoming masters of what they do, but then branching off and doing their own thing. That's American dream.
Yeah.
The stories are numerous, and we at the gala next weekend over thirty years of a Lifetime Achievement Award winners. The stories were all about I had a pickup truck, I went to the banker and got a ten thousand dollars loan and created a you know, a company that hires five hundred people.
Yeah, So the stories are endless.
It's just you know, most contractors are very humble and don't toot their horn, and most people don't understand the opportunities that exist within the construction industry.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think Jostin for example, and you know the Smithman family.
Same thing.
It's like, hey, we started this thing and they're growing and growing in company. It happens all the time, like these these people will leave, you know, folks will leave a company, or they'll get some experience in trades and wind up doing their own thing and grow, which turns out to be the future. Companies will be board members and have seats at the table the future spiritual construct
and so it's an awesome thing to see. So, you know, if you have the wherewith all the knowledge a little bit of luck on your side too, you can achieve these great things. And there's so many people. That always strikes me that when we do the event and again it's a twenty fifth and how many people are like, yeah, high school, you don't you know, you don't need a
doctorate in construction. I mean, it's nice that you have that stuff, right architectural to grow, kay, But a lot of those folks are like, yeah, I was swinging a hammer, or I was you know, I was using a shovel, or I was doing heavy equipment and just kind of grew into this thing. And here we are today and now when playing hundreds of people, it's great.
And a lot of people, you know, it's it's a very generous group of people.
Also.
I mean next weekend we're looking at raising I think one point one million dollars to give back to the trades right right, And this is all homegrown in Cincinnati companies that are that are supporting what we're doing.
Yeah, before you go, I want to get a plug in real quick for the beer because that's really really cool. That's one of the coolest partnerships collabs. As a kid say today, Uh, Spirit of Construction and Blueprint.
That's so last spring. This past spring we launched a beer with Braxton. It's called Braxton Blueprint, and proceeds from the sales of the beer actually come back to the Spirit and we're going to reinvest in workforce development. The beer can be found at Kroger, Party Source independent liquor stores. So go out and buy a fifteen pack called Blueprint by braxtlue.
Print by Backs, which by the way, I have a fifty. I have some in my fridge at home for that very reason. Support the cause and if you see that, go and it's really, actually really good beer. So really they BRAC did a great job. We're there for the rollout. I got to get going. But again I know that the gala is sold up. But congratulations John in your
lifetime achievement. It's well deserved. My buddy John Strasser and Amanda Smith, who of course now is the executive director of Spirit Construction Foundation popping in their gala happens on the twenty fifth. But just wanted to lay out all
the great work. Well, those bad news are happening, this is good news, like this is solving the problem of generational poverty and the problems we face in downtown Cincinnati, but also enabling young people to realize that, like hey, listen, not the best epic academic in roll, but there's a chance for you to be extremely successful in life. It doesn't mean where you go to college. It's just you got to continue your learning. Some of us learn differently
than others, and we'll recognize that. And the growth has been tremendous here in Cincinnati. So really proud of that for you guys. Congratulations and thanks again for coming in.
Thank you for having me.
I have a great weekend. I got to get a news break in. We'll find out what's happening in around the world. Winn Return, Austin is here. It's time for a little sports. We'll talk Hooday, Hooday and more. Hooday is the Bengals and we should tip a hat to our brothers and sisters in Cleveland because together we are Ohio strong and Ohio proud. That the Browns may not win a game the rest of the season, but they still beat the Steelers yesterday at pay Course seven hundred WLW