(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
GOVERNOR … Governor Mike DeWine speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony held for the new Bryan Schools Career Tech Center and Athletic Facility.
GROUP … Ohio House Representative Jim Hoops, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, and Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel sit with a group of Bryan students who were present for the groundbreaking ceremony.
BREAKING GROUND … A groundbreaking ceremony was held in the Bryan High School Gymnasium to celebrate the new Bryan Career Tech building and Athletic Facility. Following the ceremony, a short actual groundbreaking took place outside. Pictured are: Rep. James Hoops (R-Napoleon, 81st House District), Bryan School Board member Debra Opdycke, Bryan School Board President Caleb Turnbull, Bryan Superintendent Mark Rairigh, Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, Gov. Mike DeWine, Bryan School Board members Lynn Wieland and Ben Camarillo, and Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade.
(PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
CAREER BUILDING … This image shows a rendering of the soon to be new career technical center and athletic facility at the Bryan Middle/High School.
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
In a significant step toward expanding career technical education in Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jim Tressel joined community leaders in Williams County to break ground on a new career technical center at the Bryan Middle and High School.
The event itself was held on Monday, March 31st inside the High School Gym. The facility, backed by a $2.5 million Career Technical Education Equipment Grant, represents the latest investment in workforce development aimed at preparing students for their future careers.
“This new center here at Bryan Middle/High School will give students their choice of technical instruction, and we are confident that this instruction will position them for success in Ohio’s job market,” said Governor DeWine.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen Ohio’s workforce pipeline, ensuring students gain the hands-on skills needed to thrive in an evolving economy.
Designed to offer a diverse array of courses, the new facility will include programs in engineering, precision machining, computer-aided design (CAD), electrical work, plumbing, and robotics.
The center will operate as a satellite location for Four County Career Center, allowing students to access additional career pathways and industry standard training.
“Part of the reason this is so exciting is that the new center will be directly attached to the existing school building,” said Jeremy B. Varner, Deputy Director of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
“We find this strengthens the learning community and provides many advantages for students to elevate their knowledge, skills, and workforce preparedness.”
Over the past four years, Ohio has witnessed a steady rise in the demand for career technical education, with student enrollment increasing by 10%, equating to more than 13,000 additional students in 2021.
The new Bryan facility aims to meet this growing interest by offering more students hands-on training in essential trades and technical fields.
In the past, space constraints at Four County Career Center have resulted in up to 150 students being turned away each year.
The addition of the new satellite location at Bryan Middle/High School aims to address this challenge by expanding access to career training programs that meet the demands of local industries.
In addition to the career technical center, Bryan City Schools is investing in student athletics with the construction of an auxiliary gym and weight room.
While separately funded, this addition underscores the district’s commitment to fostering both academic and athletic development.
The auxiliary gym will serve as a venue for middle school athletic events, training sessions, and youth programs, while the new weight room will provide student-athletes with a dedicated space for strength and conditioning programs.
“This new space for physical education programs, athletics events, and community events will provide a place where students can grow, challenge themselves, and build lifelong memories,” Lt. Governor Tressel stated.
With construction set to be completed by June 2026, students will begin utilizing the new facility in the 2026-2027 school year.
As Ohio continues to see rising demand for career technical education, investments like this highlight the state’s dedication to equipping its future workforce with the tools they need to succeed.
The collaborative effort between Bryan City Schools, Four County Career Center, and state leaders reflects a shared vision for strengthening career readiness and economic opportunity in the region.
State and local leaders also see this project as part of a larger effort to address Ohio’s population, which is said to possibly shrink by 2050 if certain measures are not addressed.
When asked about how initiatives like this could encourage students to stay or return to Ohio after seeking higher education, several officials weighed in.
State Representative Jim Hoops pointed to Ohio’s aging workforce and the importance of retaining young talent. “One thing I’ve learned as a legislature, we are an aging state. And so, we are going to be having a lot of retirements coming up.”
“All of you (the students in attendance) are our future leaders. You’re our future. You’re going to be the teachers, parents, and police.”
“The only thing I ask is, once you receive your education here and then beyond, please come back to Northwest Ohio because we need you here. To fill the spots by those going into retirement.”
Governor DeWine emphasized how projects like this create opportunities for families to stay together. “You know what every parent wants is, they want their child to come home or stay home and raise their family here.”
“This is going to be one more thing that will help people in Williams County and surrounding counties to be able to do this. It’s really giving more choices for the kids, and the kids can kind of see what the future might look like.”
Lieutenant Governor Tressel spoke about the potential to shift population trends through strategic investments. “When you do good things like this and you give opportunities, you kind of defy the data.”
“People always say, oh there’s only an X percent chance of this happening. Good things happen when good people get together, like the business did and the industry and the school board and the teachers and the government and so forth.”
“We wanted to defy the data that is projected, and we want to make sure there are more Buckeyes living here than people projected.”
Bryan School Superintendent Mark Rairigh expressed hope that the new facility will provide students with career pathways that encourage them to build their futures in the region.
“We couldn’t be more excited to provide these opportunities for students to build foundational skill sets in the vocational arts.”
‘Once this facility is up and running, we’re going to be able to have students build their skill sets and hopefully become very employable members of the State of Ohio and beyond.”
“Little known fact, I think by most people, 53% of the jobs here in Williams County are manufacturing and production based. So, it is our hope that if we have these skill sets we started at a young age, and they could continue those trainings, that they will have a bountiful opportunity here, right in our backyard to build a home here, to be a part of the community, to be employed here, and to really establish themselves. So, we’re hoping that this really opens a door and window of opportunity for them.”
Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade reinforced the real-world benefits of career technical education, noting how it provides students with valuable credentials before they even graduate.
“You know, this tech center is going to have electric, plumbing and industrial art type things. It’s going to give them an edge. Some of them will not have to go to college to get the skills, they can get them through the accreditation of Four County with that partnership.”
“They’ll come out of high school with certificates they wouldn’t have had otherwise, and again, important life skills in the business world.”
“So, our hope is that they will just come into our Bryan communities, our factories, our businesses that have been here for 100 plus years and find their home right within their home.”
With continued support from state and local leaders, as well as strong partnerships with industries, the Bryan career technical center stands as a long-term investment in both students and the economic future of Northwest Ohio.
By equipping young people with essential skills and career pathways, projects like this aim to keep Ohio’s workforce strong and thriving for years to come.