Medina County Career Center students helping to build homes with Habitat for Humanity

Students enrolled in the Construction Trades program at Medina County Career Center are working with Habitat for Humanity of Medina County to build a new home for a family in Brunswick. The project will provide the students with some hands-on experience and allow them to use their skills to improve their community. MCCC and Habitat have worked together previously and this current project expands that relationship. MCCC Construction Trades students have worked on many community projects in the past and school officials say that the program is focused on both skill development and volunteerism.

The site of the new home was purchased by Habitat for Humanity in October, after a fire destroyed the previous structure. As the project planning developed, it was decided that the MCCC students would build the exterior walls of the home at the school's campus. With the lumber and supplies having been delivered, students have already started construction. As Todd Mason, main instructor for the Construction Trades program at MCCC, explained to The Gazette in a recent article, "The kids could not wait to get started on it. They were chomping at the bit. These kids have done framing before. They're already good at it. I imagine it would take us, considering we only have a couple hours a day in here to work on them, we should have it done in a matter of two weeks."

The entire project is expected to be completed by August. When the outer walls have been built, they will be brought to the site to be assembled together. Once on-site construction has begun, Habitat for Humanity hopes to have the students back to help with the interior walls as long as the timing works out with the school calendar. Executive Director at Habitat for Humanity of Medina County, Tom O'Connell, also spoke with The Gazette about the project and the prospects for future cooperation, "This won't be the last time we work together on projects like this. Their help and what they are going to do is huge. Instead of us having to frame in those exterior walls on site, they'll come pre-built. Really, we're probably cutting a number of weeks off the project by having those walls pre-built."

Students from MCCC's Construction Trades program have also been involved in other community projects in the past including rebuilding a firehouse museum, converting a storage area into a meeting room for Medina AmVets, and building a wheelchair ramp for a Make-A-Wish recipient. Through all of these projects students are gaining valuable hands on experience in a field that is consistently seeking well-qualified candidates for well-paying jobs. As Mason observed, "We like to help the community, that's the fun part. The trades in general are really hurting for employees. These kids coming out of this program know more than many people in the trades already.

They know how to use all the tools; we cover every aspect of construction in here so they have a general idea of everything. They really have a great skill set and are going to be very employable when they get out of here."