What They're Saying: Career Technical Construction Program
Ohio schools and associations issued support for the Career Technical Construction Program after awards were announced last week by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted.
35 Ohio schools were awarded almost $200 million to help expand education and training facilities to serve more students. At the event, they also announced the launch of the new application period for the Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program, which opened Friday and closes on December 15th. School districts can learn more and apply at Workforce.Ohio.gov/CTE.
What They're Saying
"This announcement not only underscores our unwavering commitment to the future of Ohio's students but also highlights a transparent and meticulous selection process, ensuring that every dollar is geared towards genuine impact. We celebrate the grant awardees and trust in the thoroughness of the selection, confident that these investments will drive transformative results for our state and its bright, upcoming generation."
-Dee Smith, Executive Director of the Ohio Association of Career Technical Education
“The Ohio Association of Comprehensive and Compact Career Tech Schools is grateful for Governor DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Husted’s commitment to growing workforce development and career technical education across the state. The $200 million dollars allocated for our career technical education facilities in the state’s budget will support continued opportunity to educate the future of Ohio’s workforce. We are additionally grateful for Governor DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Husted choosing to announce the allocation of these dollars at an Ohio CCS member school.”
-Anthony Battaglia, Board President of Ohio CCS
"Ohio's career technical schools, superintendents and directors are extremely appreciative of the support Governor DeWine, Lt Governor Husted and members of the Ohio General Assembly have consistently provided to our community, including through their recently proposed expansion of career technical programs statewide. The state operating budget’s $300M allocation toward new and updated career technical labs and equipment is significant and will produce meaningful growth in our sector. The historic investment recognizes the importance of career-tech in this pivotal economic time, and helps our leaders continue to leverage CTE programming as a bridge between education and the workforce. These funds will ensure that Ohio is not only equipping students with the tools to succeed, but also meeting our evolving workforce needs. The new labs are an investment in the future of our economy; they will be incubators of innovation, where students can explore their passions, develop their talents, and gain the skills needed to pursue meaningful careers. The funds ensure that Ohio continues to produce a skilled workforce ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. It’s a win-win situation that benefits students, industries, and society as a whole. We can’t thank our Governor, Lt. Governor, and legislative champions enough!"
-Margaret Hess, Executive Director of the Ohio Association of Career Technical Superintendents
“Thanks largely to the leadership of Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Ohio has become a national leader in modernizing manufacturing workforce development. The OMA was proud to work with the DeWine-Husted administration and Statehouse leaders to ensure adequate funding to enhance Ohio’s career-tech education and equipment. Ohio communities are counting on the continued success of manufacturers to grow local economies and career opportunities – and today’s announcement will help us do just that.” -Ryan Augsburger, President of the Ohio Manufacturers' Association
“Workforce development continues to be the leading issue for Dayton area employers and we aren’t going to solve the problem without continued public-private investments. Workforce investments today will support jobs and our economy tomorrow.”
-Chris Kershner, President & CEO of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce
"We appreciate the support from Governor DeWine and Lt Gov Husted to expand opportunities in career technical education at A-Tech for students in Ashtabula County. This funding will enable more students to gain meaningful experiences in our Public Safety Academy, helping them succeed as individuals, and build a stronger workforce for our local community and help Ohio's economy thrive."
-Scott Wludyga, Superintendent of Ashtabula County Technical & Career Campus
"On behalf of all of us at Canton Local Schools and The South Stark Career Academy, we are extremely grateful to Governor DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Husted for the funding that has been provided to us for the expansion of our Career Technical Education (CTE) programming. This funding will enable us to add a Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) program to our CTE offerings, which is a significant step towards meeting the demands of our students and community. Currently, we have approximately 100 students each year on a waiting list, unable to gain access to our popular Trade and Industry programs. Adding the HVAC program will increase capacity and allow us to serve up to 50 additional students each year, an opportunity that would be impossible without this funding. We are thrilled to expand opportunities for our students to acquire valuable skills that will make them immediately employable at a living wage upon graduating from high school."
-Brett Yeagley, Superintendent of Canton Local Schools
“The ability to offer additional in-demand training in state of the art facilities to the students of Lake and Geauga Counties will positively impact our communities for years to come. A huge ‘Thank You!’ to the DeWine-Husted Administration for their workforce vision and leadership and to our legislators for supporting Career and Technical Education. We sincerely appreciate the trust you have in us to deliver on this important work for our region and for Ohio”
-Brian Bontempo, Superintendent of Auburn Career Center
"The grant funds will significantly benefit Butler Tech students by offering increased opportunities, resources, and support for success in high-demand healthcare pathways. This expansion project directly addresses the growing community need, as a steady increase in student applications necessitates increased capacity to provide quality career education for aspiring healthcare workers. Plus, through partnerships with local hospitals and higher education institutions, the expansion project will provide a high-quality space for students to earn in-demand credentials to become healthcare professionals."
-Jon Graft, Superintendent of Butler Tech
"The commitment to Workforce Development by Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted has cemented Ohio's status as a destination for employers. This Construction Grant will allow Career Centers, Comprehensives, and Compacts to increase their capabilities in preparing our youths for the careers needed to entice employers. At Buckeye Career Center, the addition of a Medical Facility will help us train more health care workers to meet the needs of our area. This Construction Grant will impact students across our state for generations to come. Thank you to Governor DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Husted for your continued support of Career Technical Education in Ohio!"
-Bob Alsept, Superintendent of Buckeye Career Center
"We are thrilled to be a recipient of the expansion dollars. This will help provide career tech education in manufacturing and expand our engineering and robotics lab. Both fields are begging for more workforce and we will have opportunities for more students to be exposed and receive authentic learning experiences in these fields. We are looking forward to collaborating with the business and industries in our region to build the next generation of workforce!"
-Andy Hatton, Superintendent of Findlay City Schools
"Being a recipient of the Career Technical Construction Program Grant will allow Upper Valley Career Center to expand capacity in the in-demand pathways of Health Care, First Responders, Carpentry, Electrical, Building Maintenance and Robotics and Automation to help meet our ever increasing regional workforce needs. Upper Valley Career Center has reached capacity and has exhausted options for any additional on-campus programming in our current facility."
-Jason Haak, Superintendent/CEO of Upper Valley Career Center
"On behalf of Oregon City Schools and Clay High School, we are so blessed to be selected as one of the Career Technical Education grant award winners. This funding will provide a unique upgrade in facilities for our Agricultural and Environmental Technologies program by providing a new greenhouse and animal housing facility. Over the past several years, our Ag program has doubled in size serving over 100 students. By expanding facilities, we are able to prepare students for careers, in this often underserved industry, using new technology with appropriate space. This grant is a game changer for our program and will allow us to expand learning opportunities for students into the future. Thank you Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted for your leadership."
-Hal Gregory, Superintendent of Oregon City Schools
"The DeWine-Husted Administration's steadfast support for career tech expansion has directly paved the way for increased enrollment opportunities at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center. This generous Career Technical Construction Grant opportunity not only strengthens our current support of local employers but also ensures that a greater number of students can access these invaluable programs. We can now offer a broader range of cutting-edge training programs, bridging the gap between students' aspirations and employers' needs, ultimately fostering a stronger, more prosperous community for all."
-John Zehentbauer, Superintendent of Mahoning County Career & Technical Center
"The Westshore Career-Technical District housed at Lakewood City Schools comprises Bay Village Schools, Lakewood City Schools, Rocky River City Schools, and Westlake City Schools. We are delighted to hear that we have received the grant funds for two new exciting programs. Advancing educational and career opportunities for our students is our mission. The Westshore Career-Technical District will be able to expand its offerings by adding Welding and MEMS. Each of these additions accelerates our student's abilities to gain employment in high-demand jobs when they graduate."
-Maggie Niezwiecki, Superintendent of Lakewood City Schools
"In recent years awareness about the opportunities provided to students through career-technical education has led to a dramatic increase in application numbers, enrollment, and program demand. Business partners are feeling the immediate impact of a career-technical education by way of our students and graduates and the skills they are able to provide. Students and their families are experiencing the benefits of a career-technical education through their academic, professional, and personal pursuits. These funds will support Eastland-Fairfield in its mission to serve more students and families in the central Ohio region, as well as support our communities’ local economic needs through skilled workforce growth. Thank you for your investment in our career centers, our students, and thus, the current and future workforce of Central Ohio."
-Shelley K. Groves, Superintendent/CEO of Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools
“As a school superintendent in a rural community, I have witnessed the unique challenges our students face when it comes to accessing quality educational opportunities and preparing for future careers. The Career Technical Construction Grant offers a promising solution to address these challenges. This grant will enable us to create state-of-the-art facilities that will provide our students with hands-on training in technical skills. By investing in our students' education and career development, we are not only preparing them for success in the workforce but also contributing to the economic growth of our community. The benefits of this grant extend beyond the classroom. We are helping to meet the growing demand for skilled labor in our region. This grant will enable us to make a lasting and positive impact on the lives of our students and the growth of our community. Together, we can create a brighter future for Coshocton County.”
-Matt Colvin, Superintendent of Coshocton County Career Center
"The Award-Winning Buckeye Hills Career Center is honored to have been considered to receive this grant. This opportunity will allow our district, located in Southeast Ohio and serves Gallia, Jackson, and Vinton counties, to expand our operations in the following in-demand career fields: electrical trades, broadband, telecommunications, power lineman, and heavy equipment. We will build a brand-new training complex to house these workforce pathways, which serve high school and adult students. We want to thank Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted for their vision, leadership, and support of our Career Technical Planning Districts, including our Ohio Technical Centers. In addition, we want to thank our legislators for their hard work through this biennium budget and their continual support of career technical education. In Ohio, career centers work hard, think big, and find a way. Because in CAREER TECH...It’s what we do." -Jamie Nash, Superintendent of Buckeye Hills Career Center
“We are incredibly grateful for the facility funding support provided by Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Husted, and the Legislature to increase our positive impact on students, families, businesses, and the communities in our region. This funding will not only allow us to add substantial square footage to grow our already successful commercial carpentry programs, but also open much needed space to grow current in-demand programs like electrical, robotics and manufacturing, and the space to consider new programs like HVAC, Plumbing, and/or Industrial Maintenance across both high school and our Ohio Technical Center. The space will allow us to serve more high school and adult learners, while at the same time update labs to meet the ever changing industry training needs encouraged by our partner businesses. It is an exciting time to be in Career and Technical Education in the State of Ohio!”
-Jonathan Davis, Superintendent of Pickaway-Ross JVSD
“In 12 years as a Career Technical Education leader, I have never experienced the level of support that this administration has consistently shown. Both Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted have been vocal supporters of Career Technical Education, and they have actively advocated for the growth and expansion of CTE in Ohio. Both the Governor and the Lt. Governor have visited our Career Center on multiple occasions, and that level of commitment is definitely noticed throughout our community. We are blessed to have an administration that understands and supports Career Technical Education in Ohio.”
-Kevin Kratzer, Superintendent of Southern Hills Career & Technical Center
“We wish to express our profound gratitude to Governor Mike DeWine and the state legislature for their unwavering commitment to supporting CTE and Career Readiness. This funding will allow us to address the growing demand for skilled dental assistants in our region, expand our offerings to include a high school phlebotomy program, and renovate and expand our current welding lab, which will increase our enrollment capacity and provide the updated training to meet the ever-evolving demands of our local workforce.”
-Kim Redmond, Superintendent of Portage Lakes Career Center
"The funding from the Governor's Office will be groundbreaking for not only our students, but also our community. The Sandusky High School welding laboratory, which has not been updated since 1957, has only 8 functional welding stations with first-year classes of up to 20 students. The Governor's funding will allow us to renovate our laboratory with the same state-of-the-art equipment used by employers in our region's manufacturing industry which comprises 24% of the region's workforce. We will be able to train our students to fill the upcoming gaps in our workforce, as 25% percent of manufacturing employees in our region are 55 years of age or older. We are incredibly grateful and excited for this opportunity!"
-Brandy Bennett, Career Technical Education Director & Assistant Principal at Sandusky High School
"VSCTC has been providing quality education for decades, and we are very blessed with the support from our community and VSCTC continues to grow. However, as the program options have grown the demand has also increased. VSCTC, like many other Career Centers are facing significant challenges in meeting the student interest. VSCTC has reached and exceeded its maximum capacity in many programs and many students are either on a waiting list or in a another program that was not their first choice. The facility dollars allocated by Governor DeWine in this budget will allow us to expand and be able accommodate all students who apply to a program. These expansion dollars will give us the opportunity to move forward if we are fortunate enough to be one of the recipients. If the projects are funded VSCTC will be able to expand our resources, offer more programming for the students in our community to be highly trained and meet the workforce needs."
-Greg Edinger, Superintendent of Vanguard-Sentinel Career & Technology Centers
"We are very happy that the State of Ohio is providing grant funds for career-technical schools, like Penta Career Center. The awarding of this funding is a win for the career-technical institutions that are seeing an increased enrollment, to the students that will have new opportunities, and to our region and state that will benefit from a highly trained workforce. At Penta, we are expanding our programs and student access to high-quality career-technical training, and these funds will greatly help us with the construction of a new E-mobility lab space to train technicians for future regional and state-wide, in-demand needs."
-Edward Ewers, Superintendent of Penta Career Center
“This grant is not just a financial boost, it’s a game changer for our school and community. This funding will enable us to expand our offerings and enhance our facilities, thus serving more students and bolstering our local workforce. We will now be able to offer year-round driver training courses during evening hours, better meeting the demand for CDL drivers in our community, and will expand our fire and safety training capabilities to help fill the shortage of firefighters in our region. Thank you for your ongoing support and for believing in the power of CTE to transform lives.”
-Rick Tuner, Superintendent of Vantage Career Center
"The Wayne County Schools Career Center Administration and Board of Education would like to thank Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Husted, and the Ohio legislators for their vision and continual support of career technical education, our students, communities, employers, and the state of Ohio. The funds provided through the budget will change lives and prepare students for great careers for up to 75 high school graduates each year. Their families, and future families, will also benefit from enabling our three programs with up-to-date technical preparation and thus enhancing our workforce! The labs and equipment will also enable afternoon and evening classes for adults in our community to help fill the needed positions we can’t possibly fill with high school graduates alone. Initiatives such as this ensure Ohio will be a shining star in the US economy for generations to come; the economic powerhouse of the Midwest with a workforce possessing the values, skills, and work ethic this nation was built on!"
-Dr. Kip Crain, Superintendent of Wayne County Schools Career Center
"Four County Career Center and the Northwest Ohio region extend our heartfelt gratitude for the generous CTE Funding that has been granted to our district. These funds will not only expand the horizons for students interested in welding and electrical fields but will also foster skill development and educational opportunities that promise to enrich and positively impact our communities."
-Jeff Slattery, Superintendent of Four County Career Center
“This has long been a dream for Career Tech. Students have responded in surveys for years that Welding is the program they would like to see added but the resources haven’t been available to make it happen. It’s exciting to finally give them this opportunity for a manufacturing career after high school, thanks to the Career Tech Construction Grant awarded to Hoover Career Tech and the Stark County Career Compact.”
-Robert White, Associate Principal at Stark County Career Compact
"The awarding of the Career Technical Construction Grant will fund additional laboratory space and modern equipment allowing Ohio’s Career Centers to accept an increased number of students. As stated by Rick Loconti, President of Tri County Electric, 'Northeast Ohio’s workforce and economy would benefit if capacity was increased to train more workers. Individuals, corporations, service organizations and governments would also benefit by having more available and reliable contractors to provide services at a lower cost.' This award will have a direct impact on creating stronger communities across Ohio." -David Mangas, Superintendent of Cuyahoga Valley Career Center
"The ability to design, build, and open this new state of the art, 3.2 million dollar Culinary Arts program would not be possible without this funding from the state, spearheaded by the Governor’s office and supported by our dedicated legislators. We are most excited about the opportunity for 48 additional students from the Alliance, Marlington, and Salem school districts to develop their passions and attain technical skills and industry recognized credentials through this new workforce development program in the Culinary Arts. The graduates produced from this program will be able to supply our local communities with employees ready to directly enter the workforce at our local restaurants, wineries, colleges, hotels, country clubs, sports venues, and more!"
-Beth Hirschman, Director of Career Programs at Alliance CSD CTPD
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