DIRECTOR’S DESK – Hammering a Happy New Year at Bendix Academy!

by bendixacademy | Dec 27, 2024 | Director's Desk, news, staff

Gratitude for Great Beginnings!

Filing away 2024 and Nailing a great 2025

By Wendy Zielen, Executive and Development Director

As we ring in 2025, I’m thrilled to share the progress and vision for Bendix Academy, where we are shaping the next generation of makers, builders, and creators. Over the past five years, we’ve worked tirelessly to pilot our program, refining our curriculum and building a foundation to teach kids toolmanship through mentorship. Our mission is to ignite a passion for skilled trades with hands-on learning to address the escalating national need.

Wendy in her office loft overlooking Bendix Academy workshop

View of the workshop from the loft, including one of the vehicles used by students learning in the automoive track.

The Challenge: A National Shortage of Skilled Tradespeople

The numbers tell a sobering story:

A 2023 Associated Builders and Contractors report revealed that the construction industry alone needed to hire over 500,000 skilled workers just to meet demand.¹
A 2024 study by Deloitte highlighted that by 2030, the U.S. could face a shortage of over 2 million manufacturing jobs due to a lack of skilled tradespeople.²
Beyond trades, even engineers are reporting gaps in hands-on skills. Employers stress the importance of practical experience alongside theoretical knowledge, and too many young professionals are entering the workforce without these critical abilities.

Our mission is to ignite a passion for skilled trades and hands-on learning in the face of a growing national need.

^{1. Per HBSDEALER article “ABC: More than 500,000 construction workers needed in 2023“, 2/9/2023}

^{2. Per Deloite press release “US Manufacturing Could Need as Many as 3.8 Million New Employees by 2033“, 4/3/2024}

Above: Bendix Board 2025

Where We’ve Been

Since our founding, Bendix Academy has focused on addressing this challenge. Growing up in a home that my father built and always being involved directly or tangently with tech and skilled trades, I really understood the problem. I joined the board of Bendix Academy in 2022 to help build on the vision of growing the number of youth with toolmanship know-how.

Our Solution

Our goal has always been to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world skills. The pilot program has been about refining this vision, proving what works, and preparing to scale.

Through our pilot program in the last two years, we’ve:

Designed hands-on mentoring lessons to teach students toolmanship skills and mechanical concepts.
Partnered with skilled mentors who pass on knowledge and inspire young minds.
Sparked curiosity and confidence in students, opening their eyes to the possibilities of careers in trades and engineering.

Our goal has always been to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world skills. The pilot program has been about refining this vision, proving what works, and preparing to scale.

Where We’re Going in 2025 – Expanding the Solution

This year, Bendix Academy is stepping into a new phase of growth. We’re aiming to:

Expand Enrollment: We plan to double the number of students we serve, providing more opportunities to explore skilled trades and toolmanship.
Build Industry Partnerships: By collaborating with local businesses, unions, and trade associations, we can create stronger pipelines to employment for our graduates.
Recruit More Mentors: Skilled tradespeople are the heart of our program. We’re launching campaigns to bring more mentors into the fold, ensuring students have access to the best guidance possible.
Raise Awareness: Skilled trades are critical to our nation’s infrastructure, economy, and innovation. We’ll be working to shift perceptions and encourage more young people to consider these rewarding careers.

The Future of Bendix Academy

2025 marks an exciting moment for us. With the support of our community, we are poised to grow into a hub where young people can discover their talents, gain hands-on experience, and contribute to solving the skilled trades shortage. Seeing the need and the possibilities for making substantive change, I transitioned in 2024 from being a Bendix Academy board member to the role of Executive and Development Director. I invite you to join Bendix Academy on this journey.

Whether you’re a tradesperson eager to mentor, a parent of a curious student, or a supporter of hands-on education, your involvement can make a difference. Together, we can empower the next generation to meet the demands of tomorrow while reviving the spirit of craftsmanship in our nation. Let’s hammer out a brighter future and build a legacy of skilled, confident, and inspired young people!

Here’s to 2025 and beyond!

Wendy Zielen
[email protected]

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Todd Trainor

by bendixacademy | Jul 8, 2021 | our team, staff

Todd Trainor

Executive Director

Born and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan, Todd was mentored by his father while restoring antique aircraft and fixing things around the house.

Todd retired early from a career in information technology to become the Director & Creator of the Warbirds of Glory Museum’s Toolmanship Mentoring program, following a passion for youth development borne from his time spent working with his father. The program was extremely popular with mentors and students, and after three years the program separated from the Museum to become an independent nonprofit.

Today Todd serves at the Executive Director at Bendix Academy where he is devoted to expanding opportunities to further the program’s reach to benefit the youth, industries, and mechanically-minded professionals and retirees in east Michigan.

Todd graduated from Michigan State University in Computer Science and enjoyed his career as a programmer and senior project manager in the IT industry including 10 years at Dow Chemical and 22 years at Hewlett Packard. During this time, he also started and operated several small businesses, including 13 years with The UPS Store. Additionally, Todd founded the Aeronca Aircraft History Museum in 2010 and is co-founder of the Warbirds of Glory Museum. He also served as project manager for the 2013 recovery of WWII B-25J Sandbar Mitchell from a remote crash site in Alaska.

Todd attends St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Brighton with his wife, Anna, and when vacationing they both enjoy visiting Catholic churches throughout the States.

Rodney Beckwith III

by bendixacademy | Jul 7, 2021 | board members, our team

Rodney Beckwith III

Board Member

Growing up on a farm in Niles, Michigan, Mr. Beckwith earned his mechanical abilities very early in life. These abilities served him well early on, helping him achieve the Eagle Rank in Scouting when he was only 16 years old.

Mr. Beckwith attended Jackson Community College and Lawrence Institute of Technology where he majored in Mechanical Engineering, with studies in Metallurgical and Electrical.

On June 27, 1964, he married Georgia Bruiuing. He interviewed at Ford Motor Company the following Tuesday, and was hired the day after Labor Day. He retired from Ford in 1997 after a 33 year career there.

Before starting at Ford, Mr. Beckwith worked in the design of material dispensing equipment for the auto industry and electro/hydraulic systems for the military and aerospace.

In addition to serving as a Bendix mentor, Mr. Beckwith is also a leader in Scouting and teaches for the American Heart Association and Red Cross for many years. He is also a Tech Inspector for auto racing including Formula SAE and teaches metal fabrication for race cars and airplanes. Not one to rest idly in retirement, he also serves as Health Officer and Aquatics Director for Scout camps.

Mr. Beckwith was involved in the design and implementation of the first Toolmanship Mentoring program in 2017. He believes deeply in bring generations together to motivate youth in constructive careers.

Anna DeMonaco

by bendixacademy | Jul 7, 2021 | board members, our team

Anna DeMonaco

Board Member

Anna grew up in Romeo, Michigan but lived in Arizona in the 1980’s. While in the southwest, she became a Certified Foster Parent and adopted two siblings, aged four and six from the State of Arizona Foster Care System. The experience taught her many valuable lessons, especially the importance of faith, family, and relationship. Most importantly, she says, was the value of personal relationships with young people – the avenue needed to offer care, guidance, and education to them, especially youth coming from difficult situations.

Anna began her career in the hospitality management while in Arizona. Returning to Michigan, she changed careers and recently retired from 32 years in information technology and network management, with many of those years in the manufacturing industry. Most of Anna’s career was spent building successful startup organizations, where creating processes and procedures and breaking new ground was part of the job. Simultaneously, he she was the manager of multiple startup UPS Store franchises in 1994 and was treasurer of several nonprofit startups.

Anna graduated from Ferris State College with a degree in Accounting and from Saginaw Valley State University with a degree in Information Systems. She enjoys quilting, studying, creating Sacred Art, gardening, and baking.

Her caring nature and previous experience with disadvantaged youth, startup organizations, nonprofits, and in information technology make her a valuable member of the Bendix Academy board.