robotics

Tri-Rivers RAMTEC addresses manufacturing skills gap

Marion has always been a community that builds things. We create things. We just always have. We created the machines that built the Panama Canal. We helped move rockets and space shuttles. It’s always been in our DNA.

At Tri-Rivers Career Center, we knew there was a skills gap; industry told us. We knew students needed advanced manufacturing training, but they just weren’t getting it. So, what could we do about it? We needed to create a place to fill these gaps; we needed a place like RAMTEC (Robotics & Advanced Manufacturing Technology Education Collaborative).

“Our answer to the manufacturing skills gap in Ohio is RAMTEC,” said Ramey, RAMTEC Coordinator and Engineering Instructor at Tri-Rivers Career Center. “Tri-Rivers leads the nation on creating a state of the art training center for the gray collar jobs of the future with advanced manufacturing and engineering skills. We are building a Robotic Technician Pipeline.”

Ramey said, “Data shows over the next decade nearly three and a half million manufacturing jobs will be needed to be filled and the skills gap is expected to result in 2 million of those jobs going unfilled.”

Ramey said RAMTEC works with numerous Robotics, Programmable Logic Control and Welding companies to provide multiple advanced manufacturing and robotics certifications all under on roof.

“Tri-Rivers RAMTEC is set up with the most sophisticated up-to-date equipment that is out in the market today with over 38 robots, including FANUC, Yaskawa and Universal—the robots most widely used out in industry settings,” said Mark Edington, RAMTEC Instructor.

“When you look at what is happening around the country, there are various programs that are out there being built to replicate what RAMTEC has already done. We look at RAMTEC as really ground zero for industrial education for robotics,” said Bob Graff, senior sales manager of Robotics /Education Workforce Development at Yaskawa Motoman.

“RAMTEC is a state of the art facility modeled very similar to what we have at our Honda Technical Training Lab, said Drew Mosley, technical training instructor for Honda of America and a graduate of RAMTEC. “They are trying to give students a taste of what they will see on the (manufacturing) floor. They are giving them those tools prior to even going to college. I attribute a lot of my success to Tri-Rivers and the amount of work they put into building the program to what it is now.”

“They are teaching students the same exact skills they will use in the workforce It’s not a situation where there is a correlation or a parallel. It is literally what they are doing in the class is what they will be doing in the manufacturing environment,” Daryl Young, controls and automation manager for Whirlpool-Marion Division.

“They really took charge of identifying the types of curriculum and types of equipment that would prepare those students well immediately for needs that we have within our manufacturing operations,” said Scot McLemore of Honda of America. “Tri-Rivers through their RAMTEC Center has really focused on meeting our needs as an employer with our automation and manufacturing operations and then really working closely with us in terms of identifying pathways that lead to those positions that we have.”

Gus Comstock, the director of CANDO! Marion, said “I think something that we excel at in Marion is the partnership between the private sector and education and the public sector…we sort of cracked the code on how do you get manufacturers and the private sector together with educational institutions to make sure everyone is speaking the same language. RAMTEC is the mother ship of Robotics Education in the State of Ohio and probably one of the best in the nation. It doesn’t get any better for a company that needs people with robotics training.”

“The game changer is really about how RAMTEC is going about building a model that is sustainable—that supports what industry is looking for. It really is the biggest value that RAMTEC has,” said Graff.

“RAMTEC is going to keep our jobs here as apposed to moving to another country or another location,” said Annette Walton, Ohio Means Jobs, Marion.

RAMTEC Ohio opened its doors in Marion in 2013. In June of 2014 eight additional RAMTEC sites were funded through an Ohio Department of Education $14,995,000 Straight A Grant. Then in November 2015 an additional $8 million Straight A Grant funded 14 more RAMTEC Ohio sites. Today, with the site at Tri-Rivers leading the way, 23 RAMTECs are located in Ohio.

“Unique to RAMTEC is that where most schools tend to direct training to high school students, at RAMTEC we are directing training to not only high school students, but adults as well, including college students and incumbent workers, said Edington.

“RAMTEC is a state of the art facility modeled very similar to what we have at our Honda Technical Training Lab, said Drew Mosley, technical training instructor for Honda of America and a graduate of RAMTEC. “They are trying to give students a taste of what they will see on the (manufacturing) floor. They are giving them those tools prior to even going to college. I attribute a lot of my success to Tri-Rivers and the amount of work they put into building the program to what it is now.”

Since opening, the training center at Tri-Rivers has certified more than 350 students in industrial maintenance, engineering technology, advanced machining, robotics and welding careers. RAMTEC’s graduates have been hired by companies such as Honda of America Mfg Inc., RobotWorx, SEMCO Manufacturing Co., Union Tank Car Co. and Whirlpool Corp.

Edington said in the last class of high school students at Tri-Rivers RAMTEC, 19 of the 20 were employed even before they graduated. “The Adult students going through the new Tri-Rivers RAMTEC Robotics Technician Training are equally successful in being hired at companies like Jefferson Industries.”

RAMTEC has been recognized by the SME Education Foundation, the Ohio Economic Development Association and the Ohio Department of Education for being innovative and cutting edge. More than $20 million dollars in state grants has allowed Tri-Rivers to partner with additional career centers to expand and continue the innovative vision of RAMTEC helping to fill Ohio’s skills gap and hopefully helping to establish Marion as the new Robotics Hub in Ohio. To learn more at RAMTEC visit ramtecohio.com

fobotics

FREE* RAMTEC Robotics Technician Training—Learn more June 27th

Explore Tri-Rivers RAMTEC Robotic Technician Training (RRTT) during the Hiring and Training Fair, Wednesday, June 27, 2pm to 6pm at RAMTEC. With funding through JobsOhio and Ohio Means Jobs, qualifying individuals selected will receive this valuable customized training FREE*. The value of the certifications is approximately $6,995. Completers of the training are guaranteed a job interview, according to Ritch Ramey, coordinator for RAMTEC.

*To be selected for the next RRTT three-week customized skills training class, July 23-August 10, 2018, individuals must first pass a background check, drug screening and assessment tests. They can learn more details at the upcoming Hiring & Training Fair June 27. RRTT Brochure

Those selected for the customized training will earn high-demand industry certifications, including:

• FANUC Robotic HTOP Robotic Training—40 hours in class training

• Yaskawa/Motoman Robotic Training—40 hours in class training

• Additional Training: Robotic Preventative Maintenance, Mechanical Blue Print Reading, Safety-OSHA 10, Technical Math Review and Essential Softskills

Click here to read story on recent graduations from the pilot program—since the news release they have been hired or promoted.

Contact Holly at RAMTEC if you have questions—740-389-8590 or EMAIL

Great Start 2018 is Thursday, June 7

Tri-Rivers’ Great Start 2018 is set for Thursday, June 7, 2018 between 9am and 6:30pm in the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) gym. This is an important event where students can get measured and order their uniforms, complete important forms, and meet with their career tech instructor (times must be prearranged to see instructor).

Students should stop at the Registration Table first in the MPR. More details are in packets that were mailed out to students.

seniors

Recognition 2018 celebrates AMAZING Students

PRINCIPAL’S AWARD FOR CAREER-TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS
ADVANCED MACHINING – BRANDON MILLER-SHAW
• AG & INDUSTRIAL POWER – CASSIE CIMINO
• AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY – JUSTIN BULLION
• COMPUTER NETWORKING ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY- BAILEY MYERS
• CONSTRUCTION TRADES ACADEMY – ZACHARY VOGT
• COSMETOLOGY – LYNN WEESE
• CRIMINAL JUSTICE—HANNAH LEE
• ESTHETICS – CORRINE STARKS
• CULINARY ARTS – CODY NEWSOME
• DIGITAL MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT –JESSE RECTENWALD
• ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES – SKYLER THOMPSON & WESLEY STILLIONS
• HEALTH CAREERS ACADEMY – MADISON ARTHUR
• VETERINARY SCIENCE – RACHEL SCHWARTZ
• WELDING – BILLY BECK


OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
• English – Madison Arthur
• Math – Brandon Roberts
• Science – Joelle Adams
• Social Studies – Madison Arthur

Class of 2018 Seniors
* – National Technical Honor Society † – Academic Award of Excellence P – Perfect Attendance # – Top Technical Tradesman

ADVANCED MACHINING
RYAN GWINNER
JON CRABTREE
ISAAC GEORGE
MICHAEL HONAKER*†#
BRANDON MILLER-SHAW
ETHAN SWARTZ
BRENDON THOMAS’
AG & INDUSTRIAL
POWER TECHNOLOGY
KYLE ACKERMAN
SPINCER BOWMAN
CASSIE CIMINO
JACOB COLBY
ANTHONY DE LA CRUZ
AARON FETTERS
DUSTIN FRAIZER #
ZOE FRANKLIN
DYLAN HOLCOMB
CLIFFORD ISHLER
JACOB MYERS

AG & INDUSTRIAL POWER TECHNOLOGY
KYLE ACKERMAN
SPINCER BOWMAN
CASSIE CIMINO
JACOB COLBY
ANTHONY DE LA CRUZ
AARON FETTERS
DUSTIN FRAIZER #
ZOE FRANKLIN
DYLAN HOLCOMB
CLIFFORD ISHLER
JACOB MYERS

AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY
BRADY LESTER
JUSTIN BULLION #
TIMOTHY GEORGE
AUSTIN MCMANUS
ZACHARY MIDDLESWORTH
BRENNAN RASEY
DEVON WOODRUM

COMPUTER NETWORKING ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY
AARON IRVINE
SHELLY LOVSEY P#
BAILEY MYERS
CYRUS WILLIAMS
CARTER ZIMMERMAN

COSMETOLOGY
SYANN BAER
BRITTANY BRODMAN
JESSICA CLINK*
CALYSTA DILDINE
CAITLYN HAMMOND
KAITLYN MARKEY
ELYSSA SAYRE
LINDSEY WARD
LYNN WEESE

ESTHETICS
DREAMA ADAMS
KATHLEEN BRAMMER
MADISON GIBSON*#
CALLIE MARSH*
DEJA PIERRE
RACHEL YOUNG

COSMETOLOGY/ESTHETICS DUAL PROGRAM
HANNA MOORE*
TAYLOR ROSE*#
CORRINE STARKS*

CONSTRUCTION TRADES ACADEMY
ZACHARY VOGT#

CRIMINAL JUSTICE
JAYSONA BACHELDER
NICHOLAS BALES
JEFFREY BRADY
AMBER CONCHEL
WILLIAM CONNER
JACOB HARTER
COURTNEY HINZE
KARSON HOLLEY
ROBERT HORNER
KYLEE HOWARD
HANNAH LEE*†
CAITLYN LEE ROSCH*
TRACY LILLY
KYLE MARKS
KYLE MARSHALL
MEAH MCGARY
MAX MOLLENCOPF
OLIVIA PARSONS
NATHEN RAMEY*#

CULINARY ARTS
PAIGE CRAMER
ZACHARY DAVIE
BROOKLYN LEIGHTY*#
PATRICK NEWSOM
CODY NEWSOME
MEGAN ROGERS

DIGITAL MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
NATHAN BAER
ANTHONY BELTZ
STACY CHRISTIAN
SYDNEY COOK
HAYDEN DEMPSEY
KENDRA DITMARS
GARRETT FISHER
EMILY HICKS*
VICKI INSKEEP
ISAAC JONES
LINDSEY KIBLER
KATIE KLINE
MEREDITH KLINE
ASHLEY NOBLET
CRAIG PERRY
TRUVAUN PLASKETT
BROOKE PRICE
JESSE RECTENWALD#
TRAVIS SHAW
FAITH STRAUCH
JASMINE WHITE P
KENDRA WILEY

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES
JORDAN BROWN
JORDAN BUSH
RYAN CLARK
BILLY DAVENPORT
ARIK HAINES
HALLIE HALL-BLASHINSKY
NATHAN HICKMAN
WILLIAM HOLT*
JOHN MCGILL
BREANNA NAPPER*†
BRIANNA PRITCHARD
BRANDON ROBERTS*
EVAN SNIDER
COLE STALLINGS#
WESLEY STILLIONS
JOHN THACKER II
OWEN THACKER#
SKYLER THOMPSON*
JAYLIN TYLER

HEALTH CAREERS ACADEMY
JOELLE ADAMS#
MADISON ARTHUR
ANGEL BROWN
ALEXANDRIA BURTCH
SKYLER DEASCENTIS
CHEYENNE DUNN
HANNAH FINICAL
SIERRA FLORIDIA
KENNETH GEARHART
MIRANDA GOLDEN
ASHTON GREEN
KARISSA HARMON
WHITNEY LEVINGS
ALLYSON MOORE*
MEGAN PRESTON
KENDAL STOVER
COURTNEY WILLIAMS

VETERINARY SCIENCE
MADISON ACKER*#
MORGAN BOLANDER
LILLIAN HALL
KARA LINDENBERGER
KAYLEE MAYLE*
SHAWN PITCHFORD
LAETTA RANDOLPH
RACHEL SCHWARTZ*
SHASTA SNARE*
HAYLEY STIVERSON*
AUTUMN WELLS
VANESSA WILLIAMSON

WELDING
BILLY BECK
CARSON BOWLING
CONNOR BRUMFIELD#
DALE CLOSE
TYLER COOPER
ASHLEY DASO
QUINTON DAVIS
CALVIN FENTON
WESLEY JACKSON#
CARSON JAMES
DORIAN JAMES
SAMUEL LEE
STASIA MANLEY
HAYDEN ROSEBROUGH
CALEB SPEAKMAN
CURTISS TURNER
JOSEPH WHALEN

ramey

Tri-Rivers’ RAMTEC Coordinator Presents in Washington DC

Tri-Rivers RAMTEC Coordinator Ritch Ramey presents to the U.S. Congressional Robotics Caucus Advisory Committee in Washington, DC.

 

Tri-Rivers Career Center’s RAMTEC Coordinator/Engineering Technologies Instructor Ritch Ramey was part of a panel that presented Next Generation Robotics and the Future of Work to the Congressional Robotics Caucus Advisory Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington DC on April 18.

Ramey said, “The international race to lead the robotics revolution won’t be won in research labs alone, but will depend on effective workforce development programs and strategies. At Tri-Rivers RAMTEC we are proud to be leading the way in providing training locally and working towards ensuring that our training model is replicated to not only meet our district’s needs, but to provide solutions to Ohio’s and the Nation’s manufacturing skills gap.”

Opening remarks were given by Robotics Caucus Co-Chairs, Congressman Mike Doyle and Congressman Rob Woodall. The panel’s moderator was Dr. Ramayya Krishnan, Dean, Heinz College of Information Management and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University. The Heinz College is home to the Block Center for Technology and Society.

Along with Ramey, the panel included: Mark Lewandowski, Procter & Gamble; Jeff Burnstein, President, Robotic Industries Association; Jim H. Key, Vice President, USW Local Union 550, Paducah, KY, President of USW Atomic Energy Workers Council, United Steelworkers; and Seth Hutchinson, Professor, KUKA Chair for Robotics, Georgia Tech Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines.

Ramey presented on the RAMTEC Model. “It was critical to our economy that we started developing K-12 programming, college credits and industrial certifications as well as creating a replicable public and private industry program to overcome our national 2.5 million technician shortage or Manufacturing Gap,” said Ramey. “RAMTEC has gained national attention. We recognized there was a critical need in Central Ohio for technicians and hands-on training and at RAMTEC developed partnerships with national leaders in manufacturing equipment to credential students and instructors.”

Ramey said, “We currently have 11 of our 19 high school Seniors making great wages building robotics work cells half a day in various robotics and automation facilities in Central Ohio while still in school. They also each earned more than $8,000 worth of industrial certifications as well as up to 15 college credit hours from Marion Technical College in their Engineering Technology programs. This sets them up for success.”

Ramey shared with the Robotics Caucus some of the history of how RAMTEC was developed. He explained that in 2003, three area teachers— Ramey from Tri-Rivers and Ed Goodwin and Tad Douce from River Valley— decided to bring the National Robotics Challenge (NRC) contest to this area. “This contest has grown to more than 400 teams and 1300 participants in grades 4-16,” shared Ramey.

He emphasized that this area has become one of leaders in robotics and automation training in the nation. However, he also said, “That even with our Tri-Rivers RAMTEC’s full high school program, adult training, incumbent worker training and customized training, we alone cannot fill the immediate need of Ohio. It will take thousands of schools training students in STEM, Robotics, coding and automation to fill the shortage of the skilled workers we need. A student’s exposure to these high technologies and high-paying careers should not be based on where they live. These great opportunities need to be available to all students K to Gray.”

“A new generation of robotics technologies are entering the U.S. economy. From shop floors to warehouses, robots are becoming common across a myriad of sectors—from transportation to retail, to hospitals, banks, and other services,” said Ramey.

Unlike earlier periods of automation, these autonomous systems technologies are increasingly designed to augment and collaborate with human workers, he told the committee members. Ramey said, “Studies of the manufacturing sector even indicate that as collaborative robotics are deployed in manufacturing environments, the number of new jobs increases as greater levels of robots are deployed. While the creation of new jobs is promising, it is also clear that new robotics technologies will have significant impact on the fundamental nature of work performed and that we must rise to meet the challenges.”

“This briefing brought together robotics industry, labor, workforce, technology research and public policy leaders to discuss what steps should be taken to ensure that the next generation robotics also means broader economic opportunity nation-wide,” said Ramey. “I made multiple contacts that will assist us in moving forward.”

Upon the completion of the presentation about 75 members of the committee and audience member had a 30 minute questions and answers session. Ramey said, “Most of the questions centered around RAMTEC and how can we as a nation need to develop more programs like RAMTEC. “It made me feel proud to hear the interest in our programs. It was also very rewarding to be able to represent our community, the great state of Ohio and all our great public and private industrial partners on the panel. For me, it has really been a great experience to be a part of the creation and on-going development of RAMTEC.

agold

Nat’l Robotics Challenge Results 2018

The 2018 National Robotics Challenge held on the Marion County Fairgrounds at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum April 12-14 was a huge success. More than 1,000 young people participated in the event.

Students from colleges, high schools, middle schools and elementary schools competed—more than 80 schools overall.

The event has been held in Marion since 2004. For more details on the National Robotics Challenge, visit: http://www.thenrc.org/

Below are the Award recipients in each category. The team captain’s name is in parentheses. Read more

make with kids

Career Exploration Workshop big success!

Construction Trades Academy & Automotive Technologies Career Exploration Workshop was AMAZING! The hands-on workshop, sponsored by Ohio 4-H Foundation, and held at Tri-Rivers was made possible thru a partnership with OSU Extension-Morrow County and Tri-Rivers Career Center. It was open to youth in grades 5-12.

Youth attending received hands-on training and learning in:

Construction Management
Basic Construction
CNC Router Usage
Equipment Demonstration—Operation & Safety
Small Tool Safety
Wall Framing

Automotive Technology
Auto Safety Inspections
Lube, Oil, and Filter Change
Tire Dismount, Mount, Balance and Rotation
Basic Electrical Circuit Diagnosis & Repair
Automotive Scan Tool Operation

Special thanks to Amanda Forquer, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Morrow County Extension office.

More photos on facebook

test art

State Testing, April 5-13, Read Details

Tri-Rivers Career Center will be following a 2-hour delay schedule beginning Thursday, April 5 through Friday, April 13 for state mandated testing. Any student who will be testing has received a schedule at school outlining which tests they need to take and on what days. Any students who did not receive a schedule do not need to arrive to school until 10:15. Home school busing will run as normal, so if you son/daughter rides the bus and has no other transportation, he or she will be provided time in their career technical labs while the other students are testing.

If you have questions please feel free to contact us.

osu extension

Ohio 4-H Foundation sponsors Career Exploration Workshop at TRCC

The Ohio 4-H Foundation is sponsoring a Career Exploration Workshop for Tri-Rivers Construction Trades Academy and Automotive Technology careers for youth in grades 5-12 (limited to first 25 youth), April 14, 2018, 9am-4pm at Tri-Rivers Career Center.

“Take the guess work out of whether you would like to work in a construction trades or automotive technology career,” said Amanda Forquer of the Morrow County 4-H Extension office. “Youth will have the opportunity to try out some of the skills used in these trade fields.”

This will be a hands-on workshop:

Construction Management:
Basic Construction—build a toolbox to take home
CNC Router usage
Equipment Demo: operation & safety
Small Tool Safety
Wall Framing

Automotive Technology:
Automotive Safety Inspections
Lube, Oil, and Filter Change
Tire Dismount, Mount, Balance and Rotation
Basic Electrical Circuit Diagnosis and Repair
Automotive Scan Tool Operation

Career Exploration Workshop flyer

Career Exploration Workshop Registration Packet

The cost is $10 for Morrow County Residents and $30 for Non-Morrow County Residents. This career exploration workshop is made possible through a partnership with OSU Extension-Morrow County and Tri-Rivers Career Center.

If you have questions, contact Forquer at 419-947-1070 or

awards

2018 Outstanding Tri-Rivers Alumnus Honored at Board Dinner

Alivia Christian

Alivia Young Christian is a 2012 graduate of Elgin High School, who majored in Tri-Rivers Health Care Professionals, which is now our Health Careers Academy. As a high school student Alivia was a standout—she was an active member of SkillsUSA, earned membership into the National Technical Honor Society, was selected as an Ambassador and a Teen Board member, plus she received one of the coveted Director’s Awards during the Senior Recognition evening at the Palace.

During her Senior year at the Career Center she was also dual enrolled in Marion Technical College. While at Marion Tech she worked at McDonald’s and for a short time she cared for her former junior instructor, Chris Pemberton’s mom. Chris said she completely trusted Alivia who was so caring and compassionate.

She completed her Associate’s degree at Marion Tech and received her RN in June of 2016. Alivia then started working at Marion General Hospital in July of 2016. She started on a medical floor for 9 months, then moved to step-down and just recently accepted a position in the ICU.

Alivia is the perfect nurse. Even in high school she always wanted to do her best. Unless she received a 100% on a test, it wasn’t good enough. She was and is a goal-oriented person and never happy with second best.

Alivia exemplifies our slogan of “A School Where You are ALLOWED to, INSPIRED, and EXPECTED to BE AMAZING!” At Tri-Rivers we truly expect our students to do amazing things. And Alivia with her attention to detail and desire to continually grow as a person and a professional is an AMAZING nurse. In a few weeks she will complete her BSN.

 

Robert Zwink

Robert Zwink is a 1996 graduate of Marion Harding High School, who majored in Tri-Rivers Electronics program.

Rob was nominated by his friend Joshua Simpkins who also graduated from Harding. Josh had this to say about his longtime friend:

I think Rob demonstrates that kids from modest backgrounds can still be very successful if they are willing to work hard and build a skill set that employers value.

I attended Marion Harding with Rob and then roomed with him when we both lived in Columbus in the late 90s. When I think of a self-made man, Rob is always the first person who comes to mind. After graduating from Tri-Rivers, he moved to Columbus with absolutely nothing—no money, no college degree—although he later earned a Bachelors of Computer Science from Franklin University—and no contacts beyond a few Marion people.

Rob initially got an entry-level job in tech support at Micro Center. Through hard work and determination, he worked his way up through various technology positions in the Columbus area including tech analyst for Lucent Technologies, Lead Software Engineer for Micro Electronics, Inc, and executive director for JPMorgan Chase & Co. He is currently the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and co-founder of SafeChain Financial, Inc.

SafeChain provides executive leadership, architecture strategy and engineering solutions in support of blockchain backed title software devices.

Also, Rob is just a thoroughly decent guy. He’s a committed husband and father of two sons. He’s always willing to help people who need it. He’s never forgotten his roots and for a guy like him—who marches to the beat of a different drummer—Tri-Rivers opened the door to what has become an exceptionally successful career and life.

We at Tri-Rivers share Josh’s sentiments. Rob represents everything an Outstanding Alumni should. He is extremely successful in his field, a good citizen, a committed family person and an active volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central Ohio for over a decade.

 

Billie Fields-Baer

Billie Fields-Baer is not only a graduate of Tri-Rivers Practical Nursing and LPN to RN nursing programs but also a long-time employee of Tri-Rivers. From the beginning of her career journey to several graduations—LPN, RN, and BSN) and licensure, she has grown into the profession as a nurse educator and leader.

Through education and mentoring, Billie has touched the lives of many students. She has a passion for teaching and understands the role of Tri-Rivers in adult students’ lives. She goes above and beyond to ensure that her students have a good understanding of topics and how they affect their everyday practice. She is always on the sideline coaching, cheering and encouraging students to stay positive and believe in themselves. She doesn’t know how to say “no.” She will always find a way to help or accommodate people in need. Her creativity has always provided solutions to any problems encountered.

Billie started her career as a Medical Assistant and Office Manager in one of the local physician’s practice. While working full-time and raising five children, she enrolled in Tri-Rivers first Evening Practical Nursing program. She graduated in 2004 with honors and received the highest award in the Practical Nursing program—the Margaret Helen Gast Award.

In 2012, she made the decision to further her nursing career by enrolling into the Tri-Rivers LPN to RN program. Again, she graduated with honors and received the Judith Ryan Higel award. Soon after graduating from the RN program, she enrolled at Ohio University where she earned her Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing and graduated Cum Laude.

This year she continued her nursing career journey by enrolling in a graduate program at Grand Canyon University with the goal of earning a Masters in Nursing Science.

In addition to her educational accomplishments, Billie has made multiple contributions to Tri-Rivers. Beginning in 2005, she has served as the instructor for the nursing prerequisite programs, Nurse Aide instructor and the Patient Care Technician Program Coordinator. Also, because of Billie’s caring personality and ability to connect and build rapport with students, she was chosen to serve as the success center’s academic and life coach. This year she also served as a clinical instructor in Tri-Rivers LPN to RN Program. It is obvious that Billie is involved in all healthcare programs; however, her main responsibility is being the Patient Tech Program Coordinator.

When she took over that role in 2016, she was able to make great improvements to the program and achieve record high outcomes, according to Dr. Emeline Kelly, the Nursing Director. Tri-Rivers received notification from the National Healthcareer Association commending the PCT program’s 2017 pass rates being above the national averages. It was reported that our 2017 pass rate currently sits at 97%, that is 19 points above the national average of 78%. The agency has requested to use the Tri-Rivers’ PCT program as a model curriculum because of these great outcomes.

Billie serves on the advisory committee for secondary’s Vet Science program and for the Health program at Marion Harding.

 

 

 

Steve McFarland

Steve McFarland is an electrician with over 25 years of commercial and residential experience. He’s a 1987 graduate of Mt. Gilead High School. In 1988 he entered the United States Army where he served as a 31 N 10 Communication System Circuit Controller. Steve served in Germany, was stationed in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War and was honorably discharged in 1992.

In 2010 Steve enrolled in our Adult Education Industrial Maintenance program. He graduated from the program in May of 2011—a 600-hour program with perfect attendance.

In August of 2011 Steve started Steve McFarland Electric LLC which continues to operate today. In October 2011 he began to give back his talents and expertise to Tri-Rivers, when he was hired as a part-time instructor for the Industrial Maintenance program he had previously completed.

Steve is an excellent instructor. He has competed the training and is a NCCER Certified Instructor for Core Curriculum and Electrical. He has not only been a very enthusiastic and reliable instructor for Tri-Rivers, he has  hired some of our students to work for his company!

Steve has always received very high evaluations from his students at Tri-Rivers. One of the questions that is asked on the evaluation is, “What did you like best about the course?” Here is just a small sampling of what Steve’s student’s say: “The Instructor, hands on and demonstrations.” “Inside knowledge from master electrician.” “The theory and knowledge and knowledge that our instructor brought to the classroom.” “Hands on. The excitement of Steve, to teach and his first-hand experiences.”

This past winter, in Steve’s Electrical Control classes it was amazing to see our adult students volunteer to come up front, diagram what they were learning and interact with the class. That just doesn’t happen by itself,  it’s instructors like Steve, who earn the classes’ respect for their knowledge and their ability to share their expertise with students who want to advance in their careers. It’s his passion for teaching  that makes Steve an Tri-Rivers Outstanding Alumni award winner.