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SPOTLIGHT ON
OHIO TECHNICAL CENTERS Spring 2022 Volume 10 Issue 2
INSIDE:
MAY 2-6, 2022
> COMP Sponsors New Automation and Robotics Program at C-TEC > Customized Training Key to Washington County Career Center’s Success > Pickaway-Ross Technical Center Teams with Adena Health System to Address Workforce Shortages > Butler Tech Family Rallied Around Student During a Difficult Time > Adult Career Center Success Stories
Photo: Eastland-Fairfield Career Center (Groveport)
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A Message from Chancellor Randy Gardner The first week of May (May 2-6) is In-Demand Jobs Week in Ohio. In-Demand Jobs Week is designed to highlight – through statewide hiring, education, and training events – those career opportunities that provide job seekers with a path toward high-paying jobs in fields where employers are hiring now. Looking ahead to the 2022 In-Demand Jobs Week, this issue of ConnectED focuses on a key player in providing the workforce for those jobs – our Ohio Technical Centers (OTCs). OTCs provide postsecondary career and technical education at 52 career centers across Ohio and offer programming in the technical skill trades that prepare learners for certificates, industry-recognized credentials, and state licensures. Many of the OTCs are positioned to respond quickly to the needs of business and industry by providing customized trainings and business consultation services to companies and organizations to assist with meeting Ohio’s workforce goals. The stories in this issue highlight how OTCs are meeting the needs of businesses and job seekers in areas as diverse as automation and robotics, health care, and public safety. From Newark to Marietta, Belpre to Brecksville, Mansfield to Milan, OTCs are changing lives and keeping our valued employers ConnectED to a pipeline of skilled workers to serve their region and our state.
IN THIS ISSUE: COMP Sponsors New Automation and Robotics Program at C-TEC Kickoff set for June; scholarships available to 10 enrollees.
Customized Training Key to Washington County Career Center’s Success In the past year, the industrial programs have provided more than 30 customized trainings to businesses.
Pickaway-Ross Technical Center Teams with Adena Health to Address Workforce Shortages Before anyone even heard of COVID-19, the health-care industry was struggling to find qualified medical professionals..
Butler Tech Family Rallied Around Student During a Difficult Time 2020 graduate Kobe Seay joined the Mt. Healthy Police Force in Cincinnati.
Adult Career Center Success Stories Adult Career Centers are changing lives across Ohio.
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COMP SPONSORS NEW AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS PROGRAM AT C-TEC
Kickoff set for June; scholarships available to 10 enrollees [LINK] Earlier this month, the Central Ohio Manufacturing Partnership (COMP) announced the launch of a new 600-hour workforce training program in automation and robotics at the Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County (C-TEC) Postsecondary Center.
manufacturers to supply a steady pipeline of automation technician workers for the region. Ten enrollees will receive a full-ride scholarship as the first class of students.
In January 2021, COMP received one of the Industry Sector Partnership Accelerant Grants through the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation. The grants were awarded to organizations that support the workforce pipeline for industries such as health care, information technology, manufacturing, construction, and transportation.
The program development and scholarship sponsorship were provided by COMP, which awarded C-TEC’s Postsecondary Center grant money to lead Central Ohio in developing an entrylevel automation and robotics adult training program to meet local and regional industry training demands. COMP plans to cascade this program to other technical centers in the future.
The new automation and robotics program was developed in partnership with Central Ohio
“The importance and application of automation in manufacturing is going to continue to grow
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exponentially in the future as manufacturers are faced with the challenges of being globally pricecompetitive while also supplying products on time to their markets with a shrinking workforce,” said COMP President Shawn Hendrix. “There is a great misperception that automation replaces workers. The fact is that automation provides the opportunity for incumbent workers and others who have not yet entered into a manufacturing career to gain new skills and earn higher wages through training such as this new program at C-TEC, and eventually other Ohio Technical Centers in our region.” The first class will start on June 1, 2022 and run until June 14, 2023. The scholarships will cover the complete cost of the class, including books, credentials, and supplies. In just a year, trainees will learn the critical skills needed to work as an automation technician for area manufacturers. Through a combination of theory and hands-on lab instruction, trainees will master skills in the areas of: •
Lean Systems and Industrial Safety
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Electrical Control Systems
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Robotic Operations
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Advanced Robotics
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PLC Operations
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Advanced PLCs
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Industry 4.0
“Our new automation and robotics program offers training in advanced technology and technical skills, preparing adult students for high-paying, in-demand jobs in modern manufacturing,” said C-TEC’s Postsecondary Center Director, Lauren Massie. “We are very thankful for the support of our local industry partners and COMP for sponsoring and trusting us to build and develop this program for the county and the region. Their support, including scholarships to our first class of students, has been crucial.” SPRING 2022
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Customized Training Key to Washington County Career Center’s Success Customized training has been key to the overall success of the Washington County Career Center, Adult Technical Training, an Ohio Technical Center located in Marietta. “It’s as simple as talking to the employers and listening for their needs and providing them with the training that is customized to meet those needs,” said John Moore, the career center’s industrial programs coordinator. In the past year, the industrial programs have provided more than 30 customized trainings to businesses. The training can last for months or be as short as one day. The school offers flexibility, with businesses choosing to have training completed at their site or at the school. The school operates two 42-foot industrial training trailers. All training equipment at the school is built to be mobile, allowing each piece to be used in a lab or moved to a job site. “We are listening to what the employer is asking for and making the training about them and what works for them,” Moore said. “The instructor that will be teaching the customized training is brought in very early in the process to develop the training
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and they are there with the employer every step of the way.” Another critical component to the success of customized training is having highly skilled and knowledgeable instructors. The school has built a reputation statewide for the quality of its training. “Our instructors come to us from a variety of sources, but most have been referred from another instructor,” Moore said. Each customized training instructor brings with him/her an extensive background in his/her area of instruction. All of the instructors have worked in the area in which they specialize and can provide the employer with an in-depth understanding of the employer’s training needs. One customized training client is Kraton Polymers, located in Belpre, Ohio. The company has utilized the school for the past 12 years for new-hire training. “The school listens to our needs, and with the addition of the outdoor industrial training facility, gives our new hires a realistic training that closely emulates chemical plant work,” said Steve Hand, human resources business partner at Kraton.
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Hand also serves on the industrial program advisory board for the school. He said he believes the advisory board is another key to the school’s success. “When we, the local manufacturers, make suggestions, the school listens and modifies the curriculum. At the end of the day, we are all looking for well-trained applicants, so the better we make the training, the better prepared the students will be when entering the workforce,” he said. In the past two years, the school also began offering customized training to area healthcare providers. To date, the school has completed customized training for all three of the major healthcare systems located in the Mid-Ohio Valley, as well as more than a dozen other providers. Erica Chidester, medical programs manager for adult technical training, began the process of building customized training in 2020 with Memorial Health Systems. “Erica was quick to turn around an example of the curriculum for customized medical assistant training,” said Amy Hockenbrocht, director of
educational services with MHS. “She also identified grant funding options that would allow for training while decreasing the cost to the organization. This training allowed us to invest in our current staff and gives them the opportunity to grow from one level to the next.” Working with the hospital has allowed the school to understand the needs of the health system and ensure it is better able to serve the community. This training provides the hospital with an extra bonus for new hires and existing employees. Jenna Carr, site director with Coplin Health Systems, began working with Chidester in 2021 and is currently utilizing the school for medical assistant training. “The collaboration with the school has an impact on our community and allows us to better serve our customers,” Carr said. “Erica offers not only the training we need but also provides us with an alternative schedule for our employees that work full time. This means class being offered in the evening or on the weekends. The healthcare industry needs skilled employees, and the school is working hand-in-hand with us to train quality people to become valued employees.”
"When we, the local manufacturers, make suggestions, the school listens and modifies the curriculum. At the end of the day, we are all looking for well-trained applicants, so the better we make the training, the better prepared the students will be when entering the workforce." -Steve Hand, Kraton Polymers
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PICKAWAY-ROSS TECHNICAL CENTER TEAMS WITH ADENA HEALTH SYSTEM TO ADDRESS WORKFORCE SHORTAGES Before anyone even heard of COVID-19, the healthcare industry was struggling to find qualified medical professionals. Dealing with a one-two punch of aging baby boomers requiring more care and an increase in patients during and after the pandemic, the need for skilled medical professionals nationwide is higher than ever. A medical profession at the forefront is medical assisting. Medical assistants have been one of the most in-demand medical professions thanks to their versatility. They are perfect candidates to help fill many open positions and assist other areas that may be understaffed because they have been cross trained to perform administrative and clinical duties.
The partnership began with its first cohort in 2019 and is now in its fourth cohort. The program, which won an Ohio Talent Development Historically, healthNetwork Innovative Project award, has been expanded care institutions to offer two cohorts per year conduct employee to meet the ever-increasing training with their demand. The most recent staff members when cohort is the largest to date, with 13 individuals set to qualified applicants complete the program in are in short supply, but September; the third cohort with this partnership, is scheduled to complete in Adena turned to April. At the completion of the fourth cohort, nearly 40 Pickaway-Ross to help students will have earned it fill the need. their certifications with the program.
In 2018, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center’s Ohio Technical Center teamed up with long-time clinical partner Adena Health System to address its shortage in a unique way. Historically, healthcare institutions conduct employee training with their staff members when qualified applicants are in short supply, but with this partnership, Adena turned to Pickaway-Ross to help it fill the need.
Together, the two created a customized MA training program designed to upskill current employees at Adena who wished to advance their career in the SPRING 2022
health-care industry. The program was offered to current Adena employees free of charge through the Learning and Organizational Development Department and allowed employees to earn their MA certification.
In addition to two cohorts a year, the program, which takes place on the campus of Adena Health System, has undergone other changes and additions. The program takes seven months to complete, meeting three nights per week. The focus of the training is on the clinical component, anatomy and physiology, and medical terminology. As the students enter the final course of the program, they are moved into medical assistant positions within Adena Health System.
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Employees are eligible to apply for the program after they have been employed for at least one year and remain in good standing. After application, they go through an interview process and, if they qualify, they are placed into the program. Their current manager is notified of their program placement and works with the talent acquisition team to find a replacement. SPRING 2022
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Butler Tech Family Rallied Around Student During a Difficult Time [LINK] 2020 graduate Kobe Seay joined the Mt. Healthy Police Force in Cincinnati Kobe Seay walks unassumingly into Butler Tech’s Public Safety Education Center and is promptly greeted by several staff members as “officer” and “sergeant.” Almost immediately, he approaches the plaques on the wall displaying the Brian Dulle Award winners and finds his name. Proud and humble, he gives his million-dollar smile. As a black boy in the post-Jim Crow era of Alabama’s deep south, Seay didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a police officer like many boys do. In fact, he remembers times that he feared the police that patrolled the poor, crimeriddled neighborhoods in which he was raised. “I was raised by a single mom. She worked multiple jobs to make ends meet and I can remember sleeping in cars to stay warm as we navigated between homes,” Seay said. “She sacrificed everything to give me a fighting chance, so I made a vow to leave that life and never return.” After high school, Seay enlisted in the Armed
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Forces with the goal of earning enough money to provide his mother a better life. “I ended up doing four tours in the United States Army, three to Iraq and one to Kuwait,” said Seay. “In the beginning, it was about the money for my mom. But after 10 years, I realized I really loved it. I thrived on the structure and discipline.” Following his active duty, Seay continued to return overseas as a contractor but admits that those experiences began to weigh on him. “I made the difficult decision to take my experience back to the civilian world where I could lay roots and finally begin a family of my own,” he said. In the months and years that followed, Seay dabbled in various jobs and college courses. He earned an associate degree in computer science but decided it wasn’t feeding his passion. He pursued education in physical therapy, but once again found that it wasn’t his calling. Finally, in the fall of 2019, a college advisor suggested Seay get back to his military lifestyle by enrolling in the police academy.
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“It’s not something I had ever really considered,” Seay said. “It was a revelation and commitment I hadn’t expected, and one that I admit needed reassurance.” That October, Seay drove to Lansing, Michigan, where he had since relocated his mother, and asked for her blessing and assurance that becoming a peace officer was the right move.
Seay missed more than 40 hours of class time due to bereavement leave from the loss of his mother. But with the support and flexibility of the staff, instructors, and commanders, he overcame the adversity. “I stayed until 10 o’clock at night and spent more than 16 hours on weekends making up the missed work,” Seay said. “Everyone helped me and made it possible.”
“She told me, ‘Don’t just be a police officer Kobe, be the best officer.’ So, I finalized the Butler Tech Police Academy packet in one day,” Seay said of the typically lengthy process for potential cadets. “I did everything all that day, got my fingerprints, had a physical, all of it.”
Seay went on to graduate from the Police Academy as a team leader in October of 2020. Shortly after, he was in the running to become an officer with three separate Ohio police departments and ultimately joined the Mt. Healthy Police Force in Cincinnati.
Seay’s discipline and eager attitude paid off as he filled the final spot in the January 2020 Basic Police Academy class. His mother, excited to share in her son’s journey, came to Ohio to spend the holidays with his family and be there for the beginning of his path toward a career in law enforcement. But on January 17, 2020, Seay returned home from class to find his mother unresponsive on the floor of his living room.
“I love it! I don’t really feel like this is a job,” said Seay. “I thrive on the unknown of every day.”
“Even with all of my critical life-saving training, I was unable to revive her,” he said. As always with the Butler Tech family, the instructors and fellow cadets rallied around Seay during what he recalls as the most difficult time of his life. However, he made up his mind that he couldn’t continue in the program; he was broken. “I called Commander Otto, and he asked me if I was going to drop out,” Seay recalled. “Honestly, I had already made my mind up. But for whatever reason, that isn’t how I answered him. I can’t explain it in words, but it was as if my mother’s strength and determination took control.”
Seay said that to him, being a police officer is more than just putting on the uniform, arresting bad guys, and enforcing the law. “To me, it means collaborating with community leaders to build a stronger society,” he said. “I have the opportunity to make a difference, especially with the youth. I really enjoy interacting with kids and providing them with good experiences with police officers. The types of experiences that I didn’t have as a kid.” When asked what he would tell the next generation of police officers, he responds quickly – “Do your research and have a plan.” When asked what he would say to the police officers who came before him, particularly the late Sergeant Brian Dulle, for whom the scholarship Seay was awarded is named, he replies, “You can rest now, I’ll carry the torch.”
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Adult Career Center Success Stories Adult Career Centers are changing lives across Ohio by assisting Ohioans in gaining their high school diploma or equivalent and achieving the training needed to find employment in in-demand fields. Below are just a few examples of what’s happening across Ohio to fuel this success. Madison Adult Career Center (MACC) Heather Mosier graduated from the Madison Adult Career Center’s Welding Technology Adult Diploma program, earning her adult high school diploma and a welding certification. She continued her education, with advanced standing, in MACC’s 630-hour welding technology program, earning three additional welding certifications and gaining full-time employment as a certified welder.
Heather Mosier
“I found out about MACC’s Adult Diploma Program through a friend and employee at Madison. I have overcome several challenges including drug addiction, low employability, and felony conviction. Earning my high school diploma has impacted my life because now I have a good-paying job that allows me to provide for my daughter, own my first car, and I recently moved into a house I'm renting. I pursued welding because at the time it’s what was available that interested me. I love working with my hands. Advice I would give, especially to females, would be stick to it. Some people will say things to discourage you and say we females do not belong in the field. Stay strong. I have a great support system among my church, family, and God. A lot of people encouraged me through my ups and downs. I have people and family that believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. I've accomplished being three years sober of drugs and having the support I need. This program has made a huge impact in my life.” Katelynn Biggs enrolled in Madison Adult Career Center’s Medical Assisting Technologies program. Prior to enrolling at MACC, this single mother obtained her GED despite a lack of basic skills and transportation. Through supportive services at Catalyst Life Services and her instructors and staff at MACC, Katelynn graduated from MACC with certifications in STNA, phlebotomy, and medical assisting. Shortly after graduating, she obtained full-time employment at Pediatric Consultants of Mansfield as a medical assistant. She credits her Catalyst team and her MACC instructors and staff members for helping her succeed by making a big difference in her life and helping her family tremendously. SPRING 2022
Katelynn Biggs
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EHOVE Career Center Monica Hancock dropped out of high school when she was 16 years old. In the fall of 2020, at the age of 33, Monica began the Adult Diploma Grant Program at EHOVE Career Center. She chose the 232-hour EMT program. Monica excelled in her EMT class and passed her National Registry to become an EMT, earning her high school diploma at the same time. Monica was quickly hired by North Central EMS, a local ambulance service. By fall of 2021, Monica was back at EHOVE pursuing her paramedic credential while working as an EMT. She is doing well in her program and is on track to finish in the fall of 2022. Monica Hancock
Cuyahoga Valley Career Center (CVCC) Bartholomew Hahn is enrolled in CVCC’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) program instructed by Dan Hunter. He chose to enroll in the HVAC program to learn the inner workings of heating and air conditioning systems. “With the help of my instructor, Dan Hunter, I have acquired indepth knowledge and a skill set that I look forward to putting to use out in the field,” Hahn said. He has enjoyed the opportunity to learn from a highly knowledgeable and experienced instructor who still works in the field. He said he is thankful to Dan for sharing personal experiences and tips on how to solve challenges he may have to face out in the field. Hahn, along with fellow CVCC student Stephen Boersma, received the Trade Academy HVAC Scholarship, which includes a $2,500 scholarship for tuition and tools. In addition to going to school, Hahn works for the BrecksvilleBroadview Heights City School District as a mechanic in the transportation department. He said it can sometimes be difficult to get motivated when arriving at CVCC after a long day at work. However, he said once class starts and he is in a hands-on lab setting, it brings about a great deal of inspiration. Hahn said he appreciates that CVCC is a place that brings students of all ages, demographics, and backgrounds together to learn a quality trade. Bartholomew Hahn
Looking ahead, Hahn plans on utilizing the HVAC skills he has learned at CVCC in his current job, as well as to open new doors for future job opportunities. His dream is to one day have his own business.
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About Ohio Technical Centers Ohio Technical Centers (OTCs) provide postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) at 52 career centers across Ohio. These institutions offer programming in the technical skill trades (i.e., HVAC, Phlebotomy, Police Training, EMT, STNA, Welding, Nursing, CNC Machining, etc.) that prepare learners for certificates, industry-recognized certifications, and state licensures. Many of the OTCs are positioned to respond quickly to the needs of business and industry by providing customized trainings and business consultation services to companies and organization to assist with meeting Ohio’s workforce goals. The Ohio Department of Higher Education staff with responsibilities of working with the OTCs and overseeing Ohio’s Postsecondary Career and Technical Education work is housed within the Office of Higher Education Workforce Alignment. For more information about Ohio Technical Centers, visit www.ohiohighered.org/OTC.
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Photo: Vantage Career Center (Van Wert) 15
A special thank you to all of those who contributed stories and articles: William Bussey | Executive Director | Ohio Technical Centers
COMP Sponsors New Automation and Robotics Program at C-TEC Shawn Hendrix | President | Central Ohio Manufacturing Partnership
Customized Training Key to Washington County Career Center’s Success Lori Smith | Marketing / Recruiting | The Career Center – Adult Technical Training
Pickaway-Ross Technical Center Teams with Adena Health System to Address Workforce Shortages Britany Greenwalt | Marketing Coordinator | Pickaway-Ross Career and Technology Center
Butler Tech Family Rallied Around Student During a Difficult Time Nick Linberg | Executive Director of Strategic Programming | Butler Tech
Adult Career Center Success Stories Sonja Pluck | Director | Madison Adult Career Center Laura Dowdell | Adult Education Director | EHOVE Career Center Terri Lynn Brosseau | Adult Education Coordinator | Cuyahoga Valley Career Center
Thanks for reading ConnectED. If you have any story suggestions, links to articles of interest, or news releases to share, feel free to send them to Jeff Robinson at jrobinson@highered.ohio.gov.
