Funding will improve equipment in nursing, histotechnology, geospatial technology and dental hygiene programs.

Lakeland Community College was recently awarded a Regionally Aligned Priorities in Delivering Skills (RAPIDS) grant from the State of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). The grant, totaling more than $165,000.00, will be allocated toward new equipment in nursing, histotechnology, geospatial technology and dental hygiene classrooms. This new equipment will not only keep students on pace with technological advances in their respective fields, but in many cases will also give them an edge on emerging technologies.

According to the ODHE, the RAPIDS grant initiative is designed to make strategic regional investments in equipment and facilities to develop and support postsecondary institutions’ workforce development projects. The institutions chosen to receive RAPIDS funds have shown a commitment to furthering the career aspirations of students and economic growth of businesses in the region.

Lakeland is a critical provider of education and job training in northeast Ohio. Several of the training and certificate programs offered at Lakeland have been developed in response to the needs of local businesses to attract and retain students in the region.

“We’ve worked with our community partners in the medical field to identify what equipment is needed to properly educate and train our students prior to graduation,” explains Lakeland Community College dean of health technologies Regina Prosser, Ph.D., DNP. “Our students having access to state-of-the-art equipment will prepare them for the workforce and make them even more suitable candidates for area employers.”

The U.S. Department of Labor lists geospatial technology as one of three emerging industries with the highest demand for worker and potential growth in the next decade.

“The GIS industry is continually growing and the technology is always advancing. Lakeland is already ahead of the curve by offering a geospatial technology program,” shares Barb Friedt, M.Ed., dean of applied studies at Lakeland. “Upgrading our training equipment will give our students more of an advantage when job searching.”

The four Lakeland programs that will receive equipment upgrades are considered high-growth disciplines. The upgrades are designed to improve job readiness of students, preparing them to enter the workforce in these high demand positions when they graduate.

By: Kerry Ann Jonke, Asst Director Market & Communi