TOLEDO, Ohio — Local politicians are proud to announce Wednesday a significant increase in Toledo's job market.
They're also encouraging students to consider this path while they're still in school.
Overlooking the nearly billion dollar contract, the Cleveland Cliffs in east Toledo industry leaders announced a dire need for new faces and hands to get the job done.
"We could've held this news conference in a lot of different places, but we're standing with a backdrop of really one of the most exciting economic development projects that's happened in this city in a generation," Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said.
At Wednesday's event, the mayor told people to follow their passions, whatever they may be, but if one of them is looking to make six figures by the time they're 30 years old with little to no school debt, construction is a good path to follow.
The Toledo area is the fifth fastest growing construction job market out of over 350 nationwide, and with much of the workforce retiring or getting ready to slow down, the need is rapidly increasing.
"The area added 2,100 new construction jobs over the last year, and you've got more people working in construction in Toledo today, than at any point since 2000," Brian Turmail, National Spokesperson for Associated General Contractors of America said.
That significant growth is attributed to private sector jobs like the Cleveland Cliffs as well as public building and roads projects, like the widening of the Ohio Turnpike.
Lawmakers hope that this is just the beginning for Toledo and it's port on Lake Erie, the second largest on all of the Great Lakes.
"It's not out of the realm of possibility that this might just be the first of the towers that goes up here, so I mean, that's what this represents," Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, said.
The challenge is to steer more students in the right direction.
Statistically, federal data shows that these jobs pay 10% more than the average non-farm job,and come with little to no student loan debt.
"Time is of the essence. You know, we need more people in the industry. If we don't have workers, then these projects are going to cost more, take longer to build, or may not get built at all," Joshua Hughes, CEO and Legal Counsel of AGC of Northwest Ohio said.
Bills are being introduced on the federal level to get more funding in schools in an effort to recruit and prepare new workers thinking about coming into our local construction industry. Lawmakers are also looking at an expansion of the Pell Grant to benefit trade school students.