A $20,000 grant will put new tools and equipment into the hands of roughly 400 students who train each year at the Enzweiler Building Institute, the Erlanger-based trade school that feeds electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, and other skilled workers into Boone County's construction industry.

The Ohio Valley Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Agent, awarded the grant to fund EBI's Critical Tool Replacement Program, the institute announced July 25. The money will cover about 75% of the cost of replacing instructional tools and machinery that are no longer safe or serviceable, and about 50% of the cost of building new tool carts for the school's training labs.

Brian Miller, president of EBI and executive vice president of the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky, said the upgrade is overdue.

"This grant helps ensure our students have access to the tools and equipment they need to develop the skills employers are seeking in today's workforce," Miller said.

EBI runs eight programs: Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Carpentry, Masonry, Welding, Facilities Maintenance, and Diesel Mechanics. Classes meet two nights a week, three hours per session, from September through April, a schedule built for working adults. The school reports an 89% job placement rate across all trades, according to EBI.

The institute, founded in 1967, is the longest-running trade school affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders, according to its website. Its primary campus sits at 2751 Circleport Drive in Erlanger, with a second location in Covington's Latonia neighborhood.

For Boone County families, EBI's local pipeline runs through the public schools. The institute partners with Boone County Schools, Kenton County Schools, and Ludlow Independent Schools on its Introduction to Skilled Construction Trades program, giving high schoolers early exposure to careers in the trades. Through its parent organization, the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky, EBI connects graduates with more than 700 employers who actively hire.

The next round of EBI classes begins in September.