The skyline dominated high cranes, but the spotlight was on one, dressed with an American flag. His steel arm raised the last massive beam to form the structure of the new 2.7 million square meter assembly plant from Ohio.
Among those who are on the extensive 419 hectare Lorain County, Ohio, on the construction stand that has a Ford investment of $ 1.5 billion-Rhiannon Scebbi, a graduate of the Lorain County Community College.
The 22-year-old Scebbi is in a co-op program for civilian building management for Rudolph Lebbe Group, a general contractor who supervises the Ford Motor Company project to build a facility in which the production line for electric vehicles is housed. SCEBBI is the first Community College graduate of Rudolph Lebbe Group, which was ever put into the co-op position in which employees work part-time under the supervision of a project engineer. And based on how it works, Scebbi won't be the last.
“This is the first experience that we have had with a cooperative CO surgery that has a two-year degree,” says Jaime Hart, Business Development Manager by Rudolph Lebbe Group. “We see the value of what she had learned from LCCC and was then able to apply for this program. We would be happy to explore the opportunity for future apprenticeship training programs or cooperatives. It was a great experience.”
The building is in your blood
It was a successful start to her young career for Scebbi.
“I've always been very interested in engineers and infrastructure, even as a child,” says Scebbi. “I am enthusiastic about the construction process and the way projects happen from start to finish. And to be involved in an almost 3 million square meter, floor construction project was an eye opening and a learning opportunity.”
Scebbi's interest in construction management began with the typical inspiration for childhood -playing with LEGO toy sets -but her educational path was not what she planned. After graduating from Saint Joseph Academy in 2020, Scebbi wrote down to a civil engineering program at a four -year university. But she wanted two years later.
“I was a little homesick that was gone,” says Scebbi. “I am very close to my family, so it was for me to move home and to commute the right fit.”
A new start
In autumn 2022, Scebbi started the LCCCS Associate of Applied Science in Construction Technology – Construction Management. This time it felt right.
“It was a fresh start,” she says. “I had great academic consultants and excellent faculty.”
According to Scebbi, LCCC instructors taught their courses with a unique mix of textbook and practical learning as well as compassion and care.
“You helped me a lot outside of school and academics,” she says. “They gave me motivation and career advice.”
Employers' connections
Part of the career counseling that SCEBBI received was the experience in industry experience at an early stage. The flexible course offers from LCCC made that feasible and Scebbi nine months as an intern for project technology at Regency Construction Services, Inc.
“Many of the courses I visited at LCCC were offered either at night or very early in the morning,” says Scebbi. “So I was able to work part -time in a job that was in my career.”
At the beginning of 2024, when Scebbi ended her last semester in LCCC, it was hard to visit job fairs that were looking for multi-trade cooperatives after her next harvest.
“We are a self -feasured contractor, so we hire cooperatives in civilian, mechanical and electrical areas,” says Hart. “We used them in this role and they work with our project engineers or project managers.”
According to Hart, Rudolph Lebbe Group approaches these co-op positions with long-term talent goals.
“We are looking for the future for Rudolph Lebbe,” says Hart. “You get practical experiences that you can then advertise for your course work. We don't want you to make copies or get coffee. We want you to experience and learn from examples in real life on the job pages.”
A good fit
For many reasons, including earlier building experience as an intern, their 30-hour Osha certification of Osha and a plan to complete their Bachelor of Applied Science in civil engineering, SCEBBI matched the future of Rudolph Lebbe Group and was discontinued in January 2024.
“We probably couldn't have found a better example of the first-time community college graduate,” says Hart. “Rhi has strong communication skills, she asks questions, she has researched our company. It fit immediately.”
Within the first few months in the Rudolph Libbe Group, Scebbi went to the assembly of the Ford assembly work and was awe of the effort. On a certain day, the contributions from Scebbi include sending inquiries for information, managing change inquiries and processing of order orders.
It also helps with the management of Rudolph Libbe Groups “Find it fix it” security program, which encourages the site staff to submit and correct security risks on the construction site.
“It is impressive to see how everything comes together and how quickly and efficiently everyone can work to make this kind of progress,” says Scebbi. “If you are only outside the location for a day, when you come back, it is amazing to see what happened during this time.”
According to Hart, it is of crucial importance for students such as Scebbi to see their contribution to a project with this kind of permanent economic magnitude. Especially in your home circle.
“It doesn't happen every day in your garden,” says Hart. “As a long -standing partner of Ford, this is an enormous opportunity for our young employees. In addition, this new website will do a lot for Lorain County with regard to the creation of jobs and continue to employ decades in the shops.”
The targeted final date for the facility will take place someday in 2025. But until then SCEBBI is not waiting to present her role in the project.
“Do you know how often I take family and friends and drove past the side to show them what I am working on? It is so exciting to see. And I am grateful to be part of it.”