PIQUA — Upper Valley Career Center is the recipient of more than $12 million from the state of Ohio’s Career Technical Construction Program.
UVCC will receive $12,698,139 for their health sciences, first responders, sports medicine and construction programs.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced that 35 Ohio schools will receive grants totaling almost $200 million through the Career Technical Construction Program, helping expand education and training facilities to serve more students. At the event, they also announced the launch of the first application period for the Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program, which opened today.
“Ohio is on the rise. We have 54 companies coming to or expanding their operations into Ohio, creating thousands of jobs,” said DeWine. “We need all hands on deck to support this economic growth, and that’s why it’s vital that we help our career centers expand.”
“With this announcement, not only are we creating more opportunities for all Ohio students to earn a career technical education, but we are also giving them more opportunities to be career-ready when they graduate,” said Husted. “Having access to high-quality equipment that Ohio businesses use will help students swiftly transition from classroom to workplace.”
Of the 59 applicants for the Career Technical Construction Program, 35 were awarded almost $200 million. This funding will be used to build and expand classrooms and training centers at JVSDs, compacts, and comprehensives across Ohio in various programs like engineering, manufacturing, health sciences, construction, and more.
UVCC Superintendent Jason Haak said he and his staff is appreciative of the support of DeWine and Husted and members of the General Assembly who provided the funds toward the expansion of career technical programs and the facilities at Upper Valley Career Center.
“The nearly 12.7 million dollar allocation will allow us to expand career technical labs while increasing the number of students we can serve, reduce waitlists of students wanting to attend and help us meet workforce needs in the pathway areas of Medical, First Responders, Construction and Manufacturing,” said Haak.
“Being a recipient of the Career Technical Construction Program Grant allows Upper Valley Career Center to expand capacity in the in-demand programs of Health Care, First Responders, Carpentry, Electrical, Building Maintenance and Robotics and Automation to help meet our ever increasing regional workforce needs,” he said. “Upper Valley Career Center has reached capacity in several program areas and has exhausted options for any additional on-campus programming in our current facility. These dollars will allow us to expand facilities to meet student interest and workforce needs.”
The new construction is planned on the north of our existing building and will allow for greater collaboration between our secondary and adult programs.
While we have preliminary concepts in place, we will now shift toward working with architectural firms and engineers to finalize plans in early 2024. The current plan is to have the building expansion completed for students in the 2026-27 school year.
Upper Valley Career Center has served Miami and Shelby County for nearly 50 years and this expansion will position them to meet community and workforce needs for the next 50 years.
The application for the next round of the Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program closes Dec. 15. The funding opportunity is open for all schools in Ohio who need to upgrade their equipment to teach their students with equipment Ohio businesses use in the workplace. Funding may be used to purchase equipment including machinery, software, classroom supplies, operational costs, curriculum, materials for instruction, and more.
“This significant investment means more than just state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge equipment. It’s an affirmation to every student, parent, teacher, and employer in Ohio that we believe in the potential and promise of CTE. Ohio is not just investing in facilities and equipment; we are investing in dreams, aspirations, and the very future of our state,” said Dee Smith, Ohio Association of Career Technical Education Executive Director.
Schools interested in applying for the Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program can visit education.ohio.gov/Topics/Career-Tech/Program-Enhancements/Expanding-Opportunities-for-Workforce-Readiness.
