Those who participate will have access to the college’s manufacturing lending lab, an instructional lab kit valued at $100 and access to engineering and manufacturing curriculum. They will also become a part of a network that includes industry and college professionals.
Toni Abernathy, high school liaison for the ARCTOS project, said the college wants teachers to know they are a resource for them and their students.
“Workforce development is important to our team, and we believe that training those who train the future workforce will solve the growing need for skilled workers,” she said.
Teachers will receive training related to entry level manufacturing positions, and earn six credits from Clark State, which is the equivalent to 18 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), for the Manufacturing Foundations short-term technical certificate.
“Taking this training will allow teachers to offer the class as a College Credit Plus course. Students will be on a path to receive college credit towards one of Clark State’s engineering technology certificates, associate degrees, and applied bachelor’s degree,” said Nora Hatem, program coordinator and professor, engineering technology.
The college received $3,195,374 in 2021 as part of a $13 million initiative by ARCTOS Technology Solutions, a global aerospace and defense company, to implement smart manufacturing technologies and training for Ohio colleges and local businesses to grow manufacturing innovation in the region.
Stephen Williams, director of the ARCTOS Project, said a requirement of the college/ARCTOS partnership is to provide teacher professional development that addresses the lack of training access and availability of teachers trained in advanced manufacturing best practices related to laser material processing.
“The efforts will further enable us to develop College Credit Plus dual enrollment opportunities for high school students and introduce students to Laser Materials Processing,” he said.
Abernathy said they are excited to host the teachers and are hoping to host more professional development opportunities in the future “to continue building relationships with school teachers.”
The boot camp will be held from July 10-22 in Shull Hall at the main campus. The times will be announced at a later date.
Interested teachers are encouraged to attend the Bootcamp Open House from 3 to 5 p.m. on May 4 to explore the lab and learn more about the program. RSVP is requested by Friday, April 21 to Cathy Tagg at taggm@clarkstate.edu.
Zoom informational sessions will also be held at 3 p.m. on April 25 and 6 p.m. on May 2 at https://clarkstate.zoom.us/j/82344867560.
For more information, contact Abernathy at: abernathyt@clarkstate.edu.
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