TCTC unveils new additions

CHAMPION -- A new addition to the Trumbull Career and Technical Center is intended to be a metaphorical triangle, with job exploration possibilities, preparation for skilled and talented students to serve the manufacturing industry, and support for student success at its top and two corners.

In lieu of obtaining a four-year degree, many high-paying and important positions require "someone who puts a tool in their hand," said Alex Hertzer, the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition's executive director.

A major tool for providing such a path is the 49-year-old TCTC's new 15,000-square-foot Industrial Technology, Career Exploration and Resource Center, which opened to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour Thursday.

Serving as the 40-minute program's master of ceremonies was Paula Baco, the career and tech center's director.

Overall, the addition is intended to offer stronger ties between community manufacturing needs and the local industry, Hertzer noted.

The center was designed to be a hub for workforce development and hands-on career exploration primarily in the healthcare and technological sectors. It also will offer mental health care access, courtesy of a nine-year partnership between the career center and Cadence Care.

Hubbard-based DeSalvo Construction Co. Inc. performed the work, and GPD Group of Youngstown served as the project's architect.

Also making the innovation center possible were a $5.1 million Appalachian Community Innovation Centers grant as well as a $2.5 million grant for equipment, Superintendent Jason Gray noted.

"Collaboration, creativity and strong partnerships are necessary to prepare students for successful futures," Kimberly Barrell, OhioMeansJobs' administrator, said in her remarks.

The center is set up also to guide students to resources that will match their career goals, Barrell noted, adding that they have a multitude of ways, not a single path, to move forward to successful careers and lives.

The expansion, however, promises to also provide resources that are outside the realm of career readiness and success.

"It sends a powerful message to students who walk through the doors: You matter, and we care about you," Dominic Venetti, Cadence Care's director, said, adding, "Sometimes, the hardest part of getting help is knowing where to start."

In addition, the center promises to offer greater reach to TCTC's industrial technology program, under the umbrella of which are offerings such as robotics, electrical knowledge and hydraulics, Baco has said.

Also, the innovation center is pivotal in opening doors for students who may not have been aware of such opportunities, along with manufacturers who will have a wider pool of talented and skilled workers, which results in a stronger local workforce, Hertzer said.