Rhodes State celebrated In-Demands Jobs Week with some high profile guests. Our Eran Hami was there to witness their showcase.
Thanks to the second annual In-Demand Jobs Week in Ohio, Rhodes State Community College put on their Apprenticeship Partner Showcase. This was one of 400 events across the state this week. In particular, this showcase highlighted the apprenticeship program that has been successful in placing 147 apprentices in those high demand jobs in the last few years.
"It talks about the need to align the private sector employers job creators with higher education with community colleges, like Rhodes State and other places, technical centers around the state. And it really means we have a lot of work to do in Ohio but we can do this as long as we're aligning the in-demand jobs that are there with our higher education system," said Randy Gardner, Ohio Department of Higher Education chancellor.
On display at the showcase were six companies demonstrating robotics, manufacturing, and technology. Currently, there are about 105 apprentices going through on the job training as well as course work in the classroom.
Rhodes state will be on track to grow the program much further after some recent good news.
"We were just awarded a new grant, that's going to allow us to train another 150 new apprentices over this region in the next three years. We along with two other community colleges in the State of Ohio totally will do 450 towards the workforce here in the state," said Tonette Baldin, executive director of Workforce Economic Development and Continuing Education.
Representatives from the governor's office and the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services were on hand for the event as well.
