MANSFIELD — North Central State College has been awarded a Regionally Aligned Priorities in Delivering Skills (RAPIDS) grant in the amount of $152,29 by the State of Ohio Department of Higher Education.
North Central State College will use the RAPIDS funds to upgrade Chemistry laboratory facilities in Health Sciences to also meet the needs of Engineering students, enhancing skills and efficiencies for NC State students in numerous programs.
In making the award, Randy Gardner, Chancellor of the ODHE included, “The RAPIDS 6 program will help improve Ohio’s workforce development capacity, strengthen business and industry partnerships, and train Ohio’s workers for the jobs they will encounter in our 21st century economy. This grant is part of our statewide capital RAPIDS initiative that will aid in carrying out a strategic priority of the DeWine-Husted Administration.”
Both Health Sciences and Engineering students will benefit from expanded facilities that align to their unique needs. The updated facilities will also align to the needs of area employers.
Dorey Diab, President of NC State knows these funds ensure the relevance of training to the real world, “The need for skilled workers is universal throughout our region. NC State is committed to preparing students to be productive employees, ready to fill key positions with area employers in a number of industries. Our community partnerships continue to grow, and their needs have never been greater.
“These RAPIDS funds will help us fast-track updates to our facilities to meet the evolving training needs for these partners, and put our students on a path towards rewarding careers following graduation.”
About the RAPIDS Program
RAPIDS is an acronym for Regionally Aligned Priorities in Delivering Skills. Begun by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, RAPIDS seeks to provide equipment to training facilities and internship programs to provide students hands-on learning opportunities that meet the unique needs of employers in locales throughout Ohio. By enhancing education and training infrastructure, regional economies improve, raising the statewide economy in the process.
For more information about the RAPIDS program, go to https://highered.ohio.gov/initiatives/workforce-development/rapids
About North Central State College
North Central State is a community college that serves 3,000 students on its Mansfield campus, its Shelby campus, the Crawford Success Center in Bucyrus and provides classes in Ashland through a partnership with the Ashland County Community Academy.
The College is preparing this area’s work force by offering more than 60 bachelor’s and associate degree majors and certificate programs of study, including comprehensive technical education in health sciences, general studies, public service, business, advanced manufacturing, engineering technology, and community services as well as transfer degrees that prepare students to partner institutions to complete advanced degrees in numerous areas of study.
