A Dayton nonprofit is forging ahead on plans to expand its prototype laboratory space into a full-blown manufacturing hub for skills training and workforce development.
The Westside Makerspace is operated by the Greater Dayton Union Cooperative Initiative. The manufacturing hub with equipment, production space and training programs, is currently housed in around 1,000 square feet at the Central State University Dayton campus on Germantown Street.
The co-op has fundraised $1.4 million of a $2.7 million capital campaign to support the construction and development of a permanent, larger Makerspace. The co-op hopes to begin construction sometime in 2024 on a 15,000-square-foot facility.
"We are actively developing partnerships with regional higher education, labor, and manufacturing agencies, and have narrowed to three possible locations for our permanent space, all on major west Dayton business arteries," the Greater Dayton Union Co-op Initiative said in a funding document.
The Makerspace training programs will allow workers, entrepreneurs, and youth in underserved communities to take advantage of the growing manufacturing industry. Although the Makerspace will benefit the entire Dayton community, the key constituents served will be the residents of west and northwest Dayton.
The nonprofit plans to have the Makerspace completed and opened in 2025.
The Makerspace first opened a pilot location in 2022 for eight months inside the Dayton Metro Library. As of July 2023, the prototype lab has had over 1,000 visits for training, events, and tool usage.
There are currently eight businesses operating out of the Makerspace.
The co-op is requesting $500,000 in assistance from the Dayton Region Priority Development & Advocacy Committee (PDAC) to support the project.
Other secured funds include over $1 million from the City of Dayton; $30,000 in grants; and another $770,000 in grant pending or expected.
"For years, good union manufacturing jobs and a stable core of Black-owned businesses supported a strong Black middle class in west Dayton. However, plant closures and industry changes eliminated jobs and created a generational gap in skills and wealth," the co-op said in the PDAC request.
The nonprofit cites that 58% of working west Daytonians earn less than a living wage. Additionally, 43% of adults in west Dayton have no education beyond high school. There are few accessible options for skills-based training.
"As a result, Black workers are more likely to be stuck in lower-wage, lower-skill, and more physically demanding manufacturing jobs and they face significant barriers to advancement," the nonprofit said.
The workforce hub would also help to grow the city's number of black-owned businesses, of which only 2.3% currently are.
"Black business ownership and employment in higher-paying industries is crucial to reducing the racial wage and wealth gap," the co-op said. "The time is now to address barriers to Black entrepreneurs starting new manufacturing businesses and for workers seeking employment in higher-wage sectors of manufacturing."
