Building careers while building homes: Dayton Construction Academy starts with Sinclair partnership

For anyone interested in building a better future, the people behind the new Dayton Construction Academy would like a word.

A joint effort of Sinclair Community College and the Home Builders Association of Dayton, the academy is a new two-year pathway to a Sinclair degree in construction management.

Charlie Setterfield, Sinclair professor of built environment, said the academy is the outcome of more than a year of work going into 14 new courses. The objective: Produce students ready to be leaders in the serious business of building homes.

For the approximately 20 students signed up for the first semester beginning Aug. 24, classroom learning will go hand-in-hand with on-the-job training, progressing from the broad basics of building to more specialized trade areas.

For two years, students will spend time on construction job sites learning construction fundamentals — framing, concrete, trim carpentry, flooring and much more — with time as well in Sinclair classrooms and construction labs, working with contractors and sub-contractors.

“I think it’s the right group of people, with the right passion at the right time,” Setterfield said in a recent interview.

“Our industry needs skilled, motivated people, and the Dayton Construction Academy will create a clear pathway for students to turn hands-on experience into rewarding, family-sustaining careers,” said Alan Lee, chief executive for the association

The program is selective. Students must apply and go through an interview and a job-shadowing process.

“We want to make sure they’re signing up for something that’s a good fit for them,” Setterfield said.

Jeff Kelchner, owner of Clearcreek Design Build and president of the association, said the need for a program like this has been apparent for a while. “We said, ‘Who do we call?’’”

Sinclair came to mind, he said. “They’ve got the infrastructure and with our guidance and our connections and our influence, I feel like we can build a program that stands a better chance of succeeding than any other effort or attempt in the past.”

A lot of Dayton-area home-building activity is happening today in Springboro, Beavercreek and north Dayton, Kelchner said.

Nationwide, however, activity has been somewhat subdued as interest rates and inflation have remained relatively high in recent years. According to the U.S. Census last month, privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,367,000. That was 3% below the revised May rate of 1,410,000 and was 2.3% below the June 2025 rate of 1,399,000.

For too long, the industry has had trouble finding the younger workers it needs. Relevant apprenticeship programs, in Kelchner’s view, are no longer as prevalent as they once were. “I don’t know why they went away,” he said.

Real-world experience combined with lab and classwork are one answer to the dilemma.

“We alone are not capable of doing what is required to fix this problem,” Kelchner said, referring to his colleagues in the industry.

“The Dayton Construction Academy will prepare Sinclair students for careers in the building trades while helping construction businesses and owners, through Aileron’s and Conduit’s expertise, become stronger leaders and more organized companies capable of training, mentoring, and employing the next generation of skilled workers,” Lee said.

For more information or to apply, visit www.daytonconstructionacademy.com.…Read more by Thomas Gnau – Staff Writer