The TBG Education Foundation exists to help young women and men discover jobs in the trades. There is perhaps no greater example of how that works, than the relationship forged between the TBG Education Foundation, the Mesabi Range College and the Northern Minnesota Builders Association (NMBA). It all started 4 years ago when the Foundation ponied up the dollars to help the college buy tools for its sorely underfunded carpentry class. That’s when TBG was introduced to Leo Lukas and started investing in a man who was promoting careers in the trades throughout Iron Range schools. As an advocate for trade careers, Leo was mentoring tech teachers in 17 area high schools to help reinvigorate their shop classes. Once high school students are exposed to trade careers, Leo and the Mesabi Range College provide carpentry and construction classes as well as internships and job placement. Together they’re not just talking about careers in the trades, they are making it happen.
Partnerships like this are a great example of what could happen if more educators and trade businesses got together to introduce young people to the trades. That’s exactly what we’re striving for at the TBG Education Foundation and any money that you donate goes a long way to introduce more young people to the trades.
