Nearly $200 billion worth of projects happening in Ohio

Leaders at an event held at the Local Union 189 Thursday called Columbus America’s “opportunity city,” and said Ohio is becoming the nation’s capital for upwards mobility.

State-of-the-art high-tech equipment is being used to train and prepare apprentices and journey people to work on these projects.

Right now, there are about 100,000 men and women who work in the skilled trades in Ohio and next year, industry leaders are estimating that 13 million hours are projected to be worked by those people as they build these projects.  

For all the projects, both large and small, in Ohio the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council anticipates there will be more than 115,000 union workers that will work full time from 2023 to 2025. For the Intel project alone, the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council is expecting upwards of 6,000 to 8,000 people to work on that project at its peak, including any ancillary buildings.

“Join us in rebuilding America and join us in establishing your place in the middle class,” said Sean McGarvey, the president of the North America's Building Trades Unions. McGarvey spoke about how the trades are continuing to diversify their workforce. They’re recruiting women and people of color,  looking to open up opportunities for people that haven’t been there in the past. The president of the NAACP Columbus spoke about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the trades. 

The president of Jobs Ohio said Ohio is the most economically diverse state in the Midwest. He said Ohio is a welcoming state, an affordable state, a diverse state, a friendly state, but also a competitive state. Ohio is still competing for over 15 what we call mega projects - projects that include at least a billion dollars of capital investment, $75 million, at least, of payroll, annual payroll, and an average wage of three times the federal minimum.

Aside from the economic benefit for the state, many of the speakers highlighted how these projects and the jobs they are providing are going to impact real lives and uplift communities for generations.The speakers said there has never been a brighter future for people who work in the trades. Ohio is home to many multi-year projects and many have only just begun!

Thinking about starting your career in the trades? Start here today!