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.

A check was presented to Grob Systems to continue their training program for their apprentices. Ohio Means Jobs of Allen and Hancock County presented a check totaling $30,000.

Students at Apollo Career Center are starting to learn about opportunities after graduation.

Grob Systems put on a presentation on their apprenticeship program for students in robotics, CNC technology, electrical systems technology and welding. It's an annual presentation they do as applications are now open for their apprenticeship. It's an opportunity for students to earn a wage while going to school and learning on the job at Grob. One representative of Grob says this should, at the very least, get the students starting to think about what they want to do after graduation.

St. Rita's received a new type of personal protective equipment in response to the COVID-19 outbreak thanks to Grob systems in Bluffton. The plexiglass screens donated from GROB are an extra safety measure for healthcare workers battling the coronavirus on the frontlines. With this screen, there is essentially no direct contact between the healthcare worker behind the screen and the person being tested on the other side.

A Bluffton business has stepped up in a few ways to help Ohio battle the coronavirus pandemic. Grob Systems answered the governor's call to help in the acquisition of ventilators. While Grob can't produce full ventilators, they have found a way to help. The company has reached out to businesses they know and have worked with who have the capability to build ventilators. Grob has offered up parts and equipment to help those other businesses build the medical equipment.

Local businesses learned how they could improve the skills of their workforce with the "Tech Cred" program. The program allows businesses to send their employees to places like Apollo Career Center, Ohio State Lima, University of Northwestern Ohio, and Rhodes State College. Then the businesses will be reimbursed up to two thousand dollars for the cost of the education. The local education institutions shared what training programs they can offer businesses and explained how the Tech Cred program works for their schools.

Some Rhodes State College students are being honored for their hard work on the job and in the classroom. In honor of National Apprenticeship Week, GROB Systems in Bluffton presented journeyperson certificates to 4th-year Rhodes students who are part of their apprenticeship program. Students receive on the job learning and training at GROB, and the company pays for their tuition at Rhodes. After they get their associate's degree, students will then dive into a more specialized program to complete their apprenticeship.

Ohio Means Jobs in Allen and Hancock County teaming up to help a future workforce get trained. The two agencies presented a GROB Systems in Bluffton with a $25,000 grant to pay for training and education to students in their electrical or mechanical apprenticeship programs. The program has been going on at GROB for 30 years, and besides the hands-on training at the facility, the company will pay for their associate's degree at Rhodes State College.

Grob Systems is underway on a $14 million expansion project on their Bluffton campus.

The new 45,918 square foot facility will be three stories and house the sales and engineering teams. A Grob official said the design will have an open floor plan to allow more communication between employees. Along with that, the building will feature conference rooms and a new cafeteria. Grob Systems is a manufacturer of machine tool equipment, primarily for the automotive industry and has been in Bluffton since 1990. This new building will help to emphasize more collaboration and innovation between employees.