Alliance, Hoover and Canton South among career tech programs to share $200 million

Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday announced nearly $200 million for career technical programs, including three programs in Stark County.

Alliance High School, Hoover High School and Canton South High School are among the 35 schools statewide that will receive funding from the Career Technical Construction Program.

The money will be used to create and expand programs such as engineering, manufacturing, construction and health sciences, the governor said.

"Ohio is on the rise. We have 54 companies coming to or expanding their operations into Ohio, creating thousands of jobs," DeWine said. "We need all hands on deck to support this economic growth, and that's why it's vital that we help our career centers expand."

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The governor also announced applications were being accepted for the Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program.

Alliance will receive $3 million to create a culinary arts program. The funding will be used to renovate the school's former auto body lab at the high school into a commercial kitchen, classroom and restaurant, and for start-up costs for the two-year program.

The district hopes to have the program running by the 2025-26 school year. It will provide students interested in culinary arts the technical skills necessary to earn industry credentials while learning all aspects of the industry from food safety, cooking techniques, restaurant management and hospitality.

Officials hope to incorporate a student-run restaurant that will be open to the public.

Culinary program, student-run restaurant planned at Alliance High School

The Alliance Career Tech Planning District has 16 two-year workforce development programs with the addition of the culinary program that is taught at Alliance, Marlington and Salem high schools. Ten of the programs are housed at Alliance High School.

"This year at Alliance City Schools, we have a renewed commitment to our vision of preparing all Aviators for life, college and careers," Superintendent Rob Gress said. "The addition of the new culinary arts program will help us to achieve our goal and provide our students with another career path, one that hasn't been offered in the past. I am thrilled for this new opportunity and for the chance to see our students excel in the culinary arts field and benefit the local workforce they will soon enter."

South Stark Career Academy to add HVAC program

The South Stark Career Academy, a compact of Canton Local, East Canton, Perry and Sandy Valley school districts, was awarded $4.2 million to expand its offerings to include a heating, ventilation and air conditioning program, which will be based at Canton South High School.

"We are thrilled to expand opportunities for our students to acquire valuable skills that will make them immediately employable at a living wage upon graduating from high school," Canton Local Superintendent Brett Yeagley said.

The addition of the program is "a significant step" in meeting the demands of their students and community, Yeagley said.

Each year about 100 students are on a waiting list, unable to gain access to the compact's popular trade and industry programs, he added. The addition of the HVAC program will allow an additional 50 students each year to participate.

The new HVAC program will be housed at the Canton South campus, serving as an expansion to the existing Hayden Career Annex. The Hayden Career Annex is home to automotive, construction, welding/metal fabrication, and small animal science programs.

The South Stark Career Academy has 18 career technical programs. The addition of the HVAC program underscores its commitment to preparing students for successful careers in a variety of fields, officials said.

Welding program coming to Hoover High School

Hoover Career Tech will add a welding program with $3.85 million awarded by the state.

"This has long been a dream for Career Tech," associate principal Robert White said. “Students have responded in surveys for years that welding is the program they would like to see added but the resources haven't been available to make it happen. It's exciting to finally give them this opportunity for a manufacturing career after high school."

An existing space inside Hoover High School will be renovated and equipment will be purchased with the grant money for the new program.

"North Canton City Schools is so fortunate and grateful to receive this Career Tech Construction Grant to benefit our students," North Canton Superintendent Jeff Wendorf said. "In addition to Issue 32, our Phase II Facilities Project on the November ballot, these funds will expand our student offerings to provide the education and skills students need to be prepared for tomorrow.”

The program should be available to students in the 2025-26 school year.

North Canton City Schools is part of the Stark County Career Compact and includes North Canton City Schools, Plain Local Schools, Jackson Local Schools and Lake Local Schools, offering a variety of programs from cosmetology to biomedical sciences.

The Compact offers construction tech at Hoover, Jackson and GlenOak high schools, but Hoover will be the first to offer a manufacturing track with the addition of welding, officials said.

Career tech programs offered at Hoover include video productions, interactive media, biomedical sciences, medical technology, pre-engineering, business management, construction tech, culinary arts and teaching professions.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Alliance, Hoover, Canton South get grants to grow career tech programs