Hundreds of students filled Apollo Career Center on Friday, showcasing their talents across a wide range of skill areas. Apollo hosted the 2025-26 SkillsUSA Ohio Northwest Regional competitions. 66 Apollo students were among approximately 500 students from 20 career and technical centers who competed.
Keith Horner, superintendent of Apollo Career Center, said, "We have advisory committees for every program we do. Value that greatly. It's one of the most important things we we do, and that's getting feedback from our industry partners for each particular program to make sure that what we're doing is useful to the community and to employers."
Ohio US Sen. Jon Husted stopped by the Wieland Randall Bearings Plant in Lima, taking a tour of the facility and talking about the future of manufacturing and workforce development.
Lima City Schools Superintendent Andre Rudolph delivered his first "State of the Schools" address on Tuesday night. Rudolph highlighted the district's current strengths and challenges. A significant portion of his address focused on the state report card, with Lima City Schools receiving a two-star rating. With a goal of instructional excellence, Rudolph said the district is beginning to implement major changes to its curriculum.
Lima City Schools and Mercy Health teamed up to bring a new state-of-the-art learning tool to the classroom.
November 18, 2024, Press Release from UA Local 776: Lima, Ohio - UA Local 776 is holding an open house in celebration of National Apprenticeship Week on Tuesday, November 19 from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at the union hall at 1300 Bowman Road. Those who attend can try their hand at virtual welding, see demonstrations of our crafts, tour the UA trailer, enjoy refreshments and enter a drawing for a tool set.
Through an apprenticeship at GROB Systems, Inc., students will have opportunities to gain skills in several areas. Our Katie Honigford spoke with one apprentice in the mechanical pathway as part of our Growing STEM series. Mechanical apprentice Cameron Hedrick found out about the opportunities at GROB Systems, Inc. the way that many aspiring mechanics and electricians in our area do, by word of mouth and getting a look while still in high school.
Through an apprenticeship at GROB Systems, Inc., there are a lot of opportunities in the STEM fields, including taking the next step up to a supervisor role. Katie Honigford spoke with one employee who did just that for our "Growing STEM" series. GROB Systems Inc., located in Bluffton, takes time to reach out to local youth about getting involved with their on-site apprenticeship training, and that's exactly how Dakota Bricker got his start working with, and now for, GROB.
