SHELBY — Michael Browning and the administrative team at Shelby City Schools never stopped hoping a big opportunity may come their way.
In December 2023, the school district applied for the Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program.
“We applied for this (grant) back in December and we were not awarded the grant the first time around,” said Browning, superintendent of Shelby City Schools.
On Wednesday morning, Shelby City School District was awarded $1,162,109 for manufacturing programming, according to a press release from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced that 34 schools — including Shelby — are receiving awards through the program’s second round.
Browning said Wednesday’s announcement is a big deal for the district, specifically Shelby High School.
“It wasn’t that we lost hope (in receiving an award),” he said. “Certainly I didn’t lose hope, but we hadn’t heard anything for so long I was wondering when we were going to hear (about the grant).”
Shelby learned last week its application was accepted and that the district would be receiving a substantial award.
“We did put a lot of work into this, trying to help our students,” Browning said.
How will Shelby City Schools use the award?
Shelby City School District plans to look into Smart Automation Certification Alliance Industry 4.0 credentialing for its high school students.
SACA is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to develop and deploy modular Industry 4.0 certifications for a wide range of industries.”
“That’s (SACA) going to help teach technical skills in troubleshooting, programming and maintaining and integrating different systems,” Browning said.
“This will help get those industry-recognized certifications for our students upon graduation,” he said. “Hopefully they can get those great paying jobs right out of school because they have these certifications.”
With help from its partners, SACA has “created certifications that are industry-driven, developed for industry by industry,” according to its website.
Browning said Shelby City Schools is not trying to take anything away from Pioneer Career and Technology Center, a public vocational school less than two miles from Shelby High School.
“We still have a lot of students that are at Shelby who want these skills and certifications to be able to get high-paying jobs upon graduation,” he said.
“Our goal is to make sure that our students are getting what they need and they’re ready to go into the workforce as soon as they acquire these skills and the moment they walk across the stage with that diploma in hand.
“If they’re (students) not going into the military or college, this is just another pathway for them to be able to get their American dream started,” the superintendent said.
Browning, along with Shelby Assistant Superintendent Paul Walker and Shelby High School Principal John Gies plan to visit other schools with similar programs in place, he said.
Funds to help upgrade equipment
Career technical education access will expand to more than 6,000 additional students across the state through the second round of awards.
“Investing in our schools and making sure they have updated equipment for training is an investment into our students’ futures,” DeWine said.
“Providing the opportunity for more schools to purchase equipment so they can train additional students will set them – and our state – up for success.”
According to the press release, awards announced Wednesday will grow a variety of in-demand programs across the state including engineering, manufacturing, construction and more.
“We want every high school graduate to be career-ready, and to make that happen, students need to train on the same modern equipment they will have in the workplace,” Husted said.
“These grants will help the schools invest in that machinery and technology so their students will be ready to go to work when they graduate.”
Announced in March, the program’s first round awarded grants to 57 schools — totaling just under $70 million to expand career technical education access to an additional 10,545 students per year.
The two programs combined will offer new career tech education access to 16,875 students statewide.
Improving Ohio’s workforce
Of the 91 schools awarded through the two programs, 58 were considered “traditional” high schools, according to the press release.
This means those 58 schools previously did not offer career technical education to their students, demonstrating the importance of teaching students the job skills they need to have a successful career in Ohio.
“The second round of the Career Technical Education Equipment Grant will offer even more students hands-on experience and educational opportunities in a variety of in-demand, high-wage pathways,” said Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen D. Dackin.
“This grant is essential for preparing students for success, strengthening their learning, and meeting the needs of Ohio businesses, ultimately improving the workforce.”
Visit Workforce.Ohio.gov/CTEEquipment for more information on the Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program.
Click here to learn more about the trajectory of our local economy and efforts to create the skilled workforce needed for a prosperous future in Richland and Ashland counties.
