The Lakeland Foundation recently announced a $150,000 grant from The Jerome T. Osborne and Georgeanne S. Osborne Charitable Trust to create the Jerome T. and Georgeanne S. Osborne Endowed Scholarship in Welding. In addition, one of Lakeland’s welding labs will be named the Richard M. Osborne Sr. Welding Lab.

The funds available from the new Jerome T. and Georgeanne S. Osborne Endowed Scholarship in Welding will assist students with a variety of needs. Scholarship recipients may use funds to help with tuition and fees or other costs associated with training such as books, supplies, equipment, certification fees, transportation, child care and other living expenses.

“This opportunity will change the lives of students, provide a skilled workforce to support the business needs of the region, and honor the Osborne family's legacy of hard work and community service for years to come,” Greg Sanders, vice president for institutional advancement & executive director of The Lakeland Foundation. “We are grateful to the Osborne Charitable Trust for recognizing the impact of our request and for providing us with these funds.”

Welding skills are in high demand across Northeast Ohio and Lakeland’s welding program is well known for training students to be workforce ready. Of Lakeland’s welding program graduates, 100% are placed in jobs and 90% work and live in the greater Cleveland area.

“Entering this program is life changing for these students. Welding teaches them a valuable trade with a lot of career opportunities and high paying wages,” added Lakeland welding and fabrication technology program coordinator and instructor, Ryan Eubank. “This scholarship is going to make a difference for a number of students who don’t have the ability to attend the program without some assistance.”

Lakeland’s welding labs are located in the college’s engineering building, which is scheduled to begin a renovation in spring 2024 with funds from the Economic Development Administration. The Lakeland Foundation is allowing the Osborne Charitable Trust to choose which welding lab it would like to be named the Richard M. Osborne Sr. Welding Lab when the renovation is complete.

“We are proud to support The Lakeland Foundation and the workforce development efforts of Lakeland Community College,” shared Sunny Masters, administrator of The Jerome T. Osborne and Georgeanne S. Osborne Charitable Trust. “We congratulate the Lakeland team and look forward to working with them in the future.”

By: Kerry Ann Jonke, Asst Director Market & Communi