On Tuesday, November 24, seven individuals graduated from the Defiance Dream Center’s workforce training program. The program, focusing on skilled trades, provided four learners with 120 hours of construction training and a 30-hour OSHA certification. The other three learners spent 10 weeks focusing on automotive skills that local employers believe are necessary for gainful employment.
Construction graduates: Jaziel Castillo (Paulding), Andrew Heilman (Defiance), Michael Hernandez (Defiance) and Juan Perez (Defiance). Automotive graduates: Anastasia Brooks (Defiance), James Hurst (Bryan) and Matt Randolph (Defiance).
The program is a collaboration of numerous entities. The curriculum, designed and facilitated by Custom Training Solutions, a division of Northwest State Community College, gave all learners insight and skills that local companies believe are necessary to be successful in a specific career field. The seven learners also received training in employability skills from the Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission (NOCAC), which are a valuable asset in today’s work environment.
The OhioMeansJobs-Defiance and Paulding counties office played an integral part, providing career coaches, funding, and aiding in the recruitment of learners. This local state agency continues to focus on upskilling the local workforce, providing training assistance to individuals that are unemployed, and working with local schools to provide meaningful training programs. Tiffany Dargenson, the Workforce Supervisor, understands the impact her offices can and do have upon the community. “Our mission is to develop and promote a workforce system that is responsive to the needs of business as well as job seekers resulting in regional economic prosperity.”
The Defiance Dream Center partners together with various organizations and businesses to equip and train students with skilled trades needed to meet today’s employment needs. The Defiance Dream Center’s facility provides learners with a unique opportunity, unlike any other in Northwest Ohio. Guiseppe Blanchard, the Director of Operations for the Dream Center had this to say about the program, “We launched our Workforce Development program in 2019 to meet several needs identified in our community. The classes provide critical training to help individuals provide better stability for themselves and their families by giving them exposure to multiple fields of study, access to area employers and options of employment upon graduation.”
