COVINGTON, Ky. — Classes at the recently opened Enzweiler Building Institute Covington Campus started Jan. 31. The institute offers programs in seven trades, including carpentry, HVAC and plumbing. Student Gary Winthorpe is taking electric courses.
“In high school I went to trade school, did electric and you know I fell in love with it. I enjoyed it,” he said.
This is the second Enzweiler Institute to open. There is a Boone County campus in Erlanger and a Covington location. Executive Vice President Brian Miller, with the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky, said the school offers courses on all kinds of trades.
“What we do is specialize on hands-on skill-based training for construction. We are going to have seven different classes here,” he said.
Miller said Covington’s campus is the home base for the Covington Academy for Heritage Trades, a historic renovation program. Miller said setting up in different communities like this allows more people to consider a job in the trades, a field where there has been a workforce shortage.
“Our workforce is largely aging, our average worker in the greater Cincinnati area is roughly 57-58 years old and they’ve been retiring. We’ve also been going through a lot of company acquisitions and mergers,” Miller said.
This means it’s time to train a new generation of workers, something Winthorpe hopes to be part of.
“Everybody needs electric. Everyone needs heat, water and everyone needs plumbing, so you’ll always go with the job and you’ll never be hurting,” Winthorpe said.
Miller said the goal is to expand more, even into more communities.
