Dave Ferguson, director of workforce, said the college “plays a vital role” in strengthening the region’s workforce through programs aligned with employer needs, making sure there’s a “steady pipeline of skilled workers ready to drive our community’s growth.”
In 2024-25, Clark State helped 168 people earn professional credit certificates in high-demand fields such as health care, manufacturing, information technology and skilled trades.
The college works to gives practical and customized training that align with employer needs through collaboration with OhioMeansJobs, local employers and regional industry leaders, such as McGregor, Honda, city of Xenia, city of Springfield and Sweet Manufacturing.
Ohio’s 22 public two-year institutions serve nearly 250,000 Ohioans each year, and with more than 1,000 employer partnerships in the state, community colleges are “the state’s top workforce partners,” according to the Ohio Association of Community Colleges.
“Workforce wins happen when education and employers pull in the same direction,” said Avi Zaffini, president and CEO of OACC. “Ohio’s community colleges are doing exactly that — co-designing short-term credentials, apprenticeships and upskilling pathways that help Ohioans step into opportunity and help companies grow.”
The college is offering several upcoming hands-on training opportunities:
Oct. 8-9, there will be an OSHA 10 Training, a 10-hour course that introduces participants to the most common safety and health hazards in manufacturing. Topics include machine guarding, lockout procedures, ergonomics, communication, personal protective equipment, fire prevention and material handling. The cost is $225.
Oct. 21-23, there will be a PLC Training, a three-day program focused on the fundamentals of Programmable Logic Controller systems used in industrial automation. Participants will gain knowledge of hardware components, ladder logic operations, programming and troubleshooting techniques. The cost is $700.
Beginning Oct. 27, the college will launch a 9-1-1 Communications Dispatch Academy, a six-week program designed to train people in industry-standard protocols, de-escalation techniques, and legal and ethical responsibilities while providing hands-on experience with essential technologies such as CAD systems, radio operations and NG911 platforms. The cost is $2,000.
For more information or to register, contact Clark State Workforce at workforce@clarkstate.edu.
About the Author
