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COLUMBUS -- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who serves as director of the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation, announced Friday that $40 million was awarded to 81 higher education institutions across Ohio, including Belmont College in St. Clairsville, through Super RAPIDS grants.
The program was included in the state operating budget to support collaborative projects among qualifying institutions to strengthen education and training opportunities that maximize workforce development efforts through a one-time funding boost to the traditional RAPIDS program.
"We have thousands of jobs coming to Ohio and it's vital that our workforce is prepared and ready to fill them," DeWine said. "This funding provides an opportunity for our students to learn the skills they will need in their future career on the equipment Ohio's businesses use."
"To continue Ohio's economic momentum, our students must be trained and ready for jobs in technology, advanced manufacturing, and other high-skill industries," Husted said. "We championed Super RAPIDS in the state budget to ensure that training providers have the right kind of resources and equipment available to educate the next generation of Ohio's workforce."
The entirety of the $40 million available through this application period will be awarded to help schools upgrade their lab and classroom space with new, modern equipment. As a comparison, through six rounds of the traditional RAPIDS program, a total of $47.3 million has been awarded.
In the Southeast region, recipients include: Buckeye Hills Career Center, Collins Career Center, Hocking College, Ohio University, Pickaway-Ross CTC, Pike County CTC, Rio Grande Community College, Scioto County CTC, Shawnee State University, Southern State Community College and Tri-County CTC
In addition to Belmont College, award recipients in the Northern Appalachia region are: Washington County Career Center, Mid East Career Center, Buckeye Career Center, Washington State Community College and Zane State College.
"The RAPIDS program has been a win-win for Ohio's campuses and regional employers since its inception," said Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner. "This investment will continue that success by meeting the most urgent workforce needs, ensuring students are prepared for the future."
RAPIDS grants are used to purchase equipment for use in classrooms specific to regional workforce needs.
These classrooms are often shared among colleges and universities, expanding the reach of the equipment and allowing more students to get an affordable, high-quality education. Examples of industries served through the program include Advanced Manufacturing, IT and Cybersecurity, Broadband/5G, Healthcare, and Robotics.
To learn more about the program, visit HigherEd.Ohio.gov/Super-RAPIDS.