Grants mean RAMTEC concept to expand

MARION - In the third round of Straight A grants by the Ohio Department of Education, Tri-Rivers Career Center was the lead district in a consortium awarded six $1 million grants to expand robotics and advanced manufacturing by replicating the Marion RAMTEC (Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing Technology Education Collaborative) in an additional 12 career centers.

Earlier, through the second round of Straight A Grants, eight additional RAMTECs were created.

The recent additional RAMTEC sites include: Ashland County-West Holmes Joint Vocational School District, Mahoning County Career and Technical Center, Mid-East Career and Technology Center, Lawrence County, Pickaway-Ross JVSD, US Grant CTPD, Delaware Area Career Center, Southern Hills, Vantage Career Center, Warren County CTC, EHOVE Career Center and Wayne County JVSD. Scioto County Career Technical Center received a separate grant to create a RAMTEC, for a total of 22 RAMTECs in Ohio.

“Business and industry do not have the skilled workers needed to upgrade and automate,” said Chuck Speelman, Tri-Rivers superintendent. “These additional grants will help to replicate the success of what we are doing with RAMTEC in Marion, Ohio. Our best practices will be used by these additional career centers to expand advanced manufacturing career-technical learning opportunities in robotics for sixth grade through 16th grade.”

Ritch Ramey, as the RAMTEC Ohio coordinator, is responsible for the development and coordination of the training programs at Tri-Rivers RAMTEC and the additional 22 RAMTECs made possible through Straight A Grants.

“Because of the grants, elementary, middle school, high school, college, adults and incumbent workers have or will have access to credentialed courses,” Ramey said.

RAMTEC, on the Tri-Rivers Campus, serves as the training center for all of the instructors of the additional RAMTECs providing the professional development needed to make the initiative successful.

“As RAMTEC expands throughout the state, we will continue to enhance the training at RAMTEC here in Marion, making Marion the ‘Home for Robotics Education’ in Ohio and the nation,” Ramey said. “The success of RAMTEC in Marion relies on highly motivated and skilled training staff, numerous partnerships we have developed, as well as the grants we have received.

Ramey said through Vex Robotics contests and camps, as well as trailer-based exploration programs, they have created an education outreach that reaches into the 144 schools that feed the Career Tech centers.

“The Straight A Grants provide state-of-the-art equipment and education technology so our students can earn industrial credentials before they leave high school,” he said.

“We also host several activities for elementary students, including the upcoming Invention Convention competition to be held at RAMTEC at Tri-Rivers Saturday, Feb. 20,” Ramey said.

Speelman said because of Marion’s RAMTEC on the Tri-Rivers campus, “Jobs are coming to this area.”

For example, Union Tank Car was able to expand because of the training provided through RAMTEC.

“Tri-Rivers RAMTEC has also provided robotics, (computer numberical control) and automation training for employees companies including Bridgestone, US Yachiyo, Marion Industries, American Showa, MTD, PPG, Whirlpool, Nucor, FT Precision and Honda,” Speelman said.