Stark State College receives grant from the state in support of its Welding and Joining Center

Stark State College has received $537,500 in Super RAPIDS funding from The Ohio Department of Higher Education. The funding will go toward equipping the school’s new Welding and Joining Center with the equipment needed to train the upcoming welding workforce.

According to an article on Stark State College’s website, Dr. Donald Ball, who is the school’s dean of business, engineering, and information technologies, said of the need for the funding, “There’s a growing need for skilled and certified welders in our community, so we need to increase our welding capacity. This will allow for greater access to traiing for people who live in Stark County.”

Steve Tornero, who is the department chair of industrial technologies at Stark State College, added, “We have a proven track record with the state of Ohio in regard to implementing grant funds toward hands-on equipment and lab-based coursework that improve student skillsets. In this case, these skillsets will prepare our students for various welding certifications, making them highly qualified job candidates in the areas of construction, fabrication, repair and manufacturing, all required in advanced manufacturing facilities here in northeast Ohio.”

The Super RAPIDS funding is to be used for workforce development through education, and Stark State College will use the more than half-a-million dollars to purchase the up-to-date equipment its welding students will need to be trained on in order to be able to function in current workplace environments. Some of these purchases will include welding machines, two automated welding units, and a plasma table, in addition to various supplies.

The new Welding and Joining Center project began in 2022 and is expected to be completed in time for classes to begin in the Fall 2024 semester. 

For more information about Stark State College, visit the school’s website.