Thursday, June 08, 2000
Tool awards boost grads
Miller fulfills expensive need
By Mike Boyer
The Cincinnati Enquirer
“Man is a tool-using animal. ... Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all.”
— Thomas Carlyle
And without the appropriate hand tools, technical school graduates in programs such as aviation mechanics, electronic systems, and tool-and-die making can have a tough time landing a job in their chosen field even in a tight job market.
“A lot of places require you have your own tools before you can work for them. I don't have a lot of extra money to buy them right now,” said Jon Karle, 27, who is working at Executive Jet Management at Lunken Airport after completing an associate degree in aircraft maintenance from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.
Likewise, Gareth Williams, who will receive associate degrees in aircraft maintenance and electronic engineering from Cincinnati State, said, “I have a friend who works at GE On-Wing Support and he's invested $5,000 in his own tools and he's still buying them.”
Friday, Mr. Karle and Mr. Williams will be among 26 Cincinnati State graduates receiving hand tools valued at $30,000 thanks to an in novative program sponsored by Miller Brewing Co. called “Tools for Success.”
In each of eight markets where Miller has breweries, the beer company has teamed with technical and community colleges to award tools to selected graduating students. A screening process evaluates their achievements and need.
In the last five years, Miller's Trenton brewery has presented Cincinnati State graduates with tools valued at $170,000. Nation ally, the program, which started in 1992 at Miller's Los Angeles brewery, has awarded $1.7 million in tools to tech college graduates.
“I'm not aware of any other program like this,” said Dave Neahring, alumni and development officer at Cincinnati State.
Sandra Lewis, spokeswoman for Miller's Trenton brewery, said, “We see this as an opportunity to give something back to the community, as well as address the labor shortage issue.”
Mr. Williams, 29, who will receive special wrench sets, calipers, gauges and micrometer valued at $2,500, hopes the tools will allow his dream career in aircraft maintenance management to take off.
“These tools are very important to me as far as getting started,” he said.
Mr. Williams, son of a retired Miami University English professor, said he struggled in high school.
“English was my worst subject,” he said.
He literally fell for aviation after giving sky diving a try a decade ago. Moving through a series of low-paying jobs, he also managed to earn his private pilot's license.
But he decided he was more interested in the mechanical side of the business and enrolled at Cincinnati State three years ago.
He plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in the fall.
Mr. Karle will receive $2,000 in aviation specialty tools. He also fell in love with aviation, but has struggled with juvenile diabetes, which requires he wear a small insulin pump.
He dreamed of being a pilot, but gave that up because of the cost of flight training and the stiff medical requirements.
“I was always good at working with my hands and mechanical things,” he said of his decision to enroll in Cincinnati State's aviation maintenance program.
“What I like about aviation is there are so many different things you can do, such as inspections and maintenance,” he said. “The (tool award) was a surprise. I didn't expect it.”
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