OFCC - Ohio Facilities Construction Commission

05/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/09/2024 10:21

Trade Schools Propel OFCC Careers

May 08, 2024

Ohio is building a talented workforce through vocational education. During In-Demand Jobs Week from May 6-10, we explore the profound impact of vocational training through the experiences of four Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) professionals who have thrived in their careers.

  • Preparing for Life: When Melanie Drerup was in high school, she dreamed of being an architect. She enrolled at what is now called the Miami Valley Career Technology Center for the final two years of her high school education.

"It allowed you to collaborate, work on critical thinking and all of those skills you get from working with other people on projects," said Drerup, now OFCC's Chief of Planning.

Despite being one of only two women in her architectural drafting program, she excelled and gained invaluable real-world experience.

"It prepared me for my life, college, and career," she said.

Her journey led her back to traditional academia and into a fulfilling career in educational facility construction. Today, with more than 30 years of experience, she champions the value of vocational education in shaping successful careers.

Melanie Drerup (left) poses during a tour of her old vocational school: Miami Valley Career Technology Center (formerly the Montgomery County Joint Vocational School).

  • Smashing Through Roadblocks: Lane Beougher's journey to becoming a graphic designer took an unexpected turn when his family moved to Zanesville. The vocational school he attended didn't have a graphic design program, so he had a decision to make.

"My choices were printing or drafting, and I ended up choosing drafting over printing because I didn't want to have ink on my fingers," Beougher said with a smile.

He thrived, earning a drafting certification and an award for architectural drafting. After graduation, he faced another roadblock: layoffs. Nonetheless, Beougher persevered. He pursued an architecture degree at The Ohio State University and is now a seasoned OFCC program manager.

Yet, he never forgot where his career started: a vocational school.

With students facing mounting college debt, Beougher offers this: "I think a lot of kids think college is the only place to go. A plumber can make as much as someone with a master's degree. I think we will see a transition from the academic world into the skilled world."

Lane Beougher (left) was inducted into the Mid-East Career and Technology Centers' Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame in 2014-the picture to the right features Lane (far left) with his siblings in 1979.

"I liked taking nothing and turning it into something," she said. "I just fell in love with that."

Despite being the only woman in the program, her instructors' encouragement was pivotal. Today, she works as a Project Coordinator at OFCC and advises her son and others to follow in her footsteps.

"Do it because you're not going to lose out on your education. In my experience, it has only enhanced it," she said.

Visit TopJobs.Ohio.gov/Week to learn more about In-Demand Jobs Week.

  • Sawdust in His Veins: Gary Kubicki, influenced by his family's craftmanship, was destined to work with his hands.

"That started the ball rolling for me to have sawdust in my veins," he reminisced.

After feeling disconnected from traditional high school, he found his place at the Southeast Vocational School. His journey was interrupted by a stint in the U.S. Navy, but he eventually returned to his trade and shifted to computer drafting. Now, working as an OFCC project coordinator, he advocates vocational education.

"You learn a trade, and it's a trade you are going to use forever," he said. "Whether you use it in your own home, your friend's home, your parent's home - if you learn a trade, you can do it anywhere.

"It gives you the skills to learn how to win at life."

See Ohio's top jobs and search jobs here.