Journeys Soaring Impact

Journeys Soaring Impact, founded in 2016 by Journey Steel Inc. partners Barb Smith and Tom Garten, is dedicated to *changing lives and generations* by opening pathways to skilled careers in ironworking. As a certified Ironworking Pre-Apprenticeship Program under the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council (OSAC), our mission is to prepare underserved and disadvantaged inner-city high school students for sustainable, life-changing employment in construction. We exist to create equity and opportunity by addressing two urgent challenges: the underrepresentation of youth and diversity in the construction trades, and the need to cultivate a new generation of skilled ironworkers as the industry ages. By engaging students beginning the summer after their junior year, Journeys Soaring Impact provides hands-on training, career readiness, and mentorship that connect education with a real career path. Through this work, we not only empower young people to break cycles of poverty but also strengthen the