NSCC and Miller City schools weld partnership | Local News

This new adventure will allow 19 students at Miller City High School to take college-level welding courses. The two courses are designed to introduce students to welding safety, welding symbols, blueprint reading and applied welding techniques.

The focus of the opportunity is to meet the needs of local employers, while enabling students to earn college credit, gain in-demand skills and exposure to a potential career in welding in Putnam County.

This course, similar to courses run in Defiance, Paulding and Fostoria, has seen great success. Jim Drewes, VP of Workforce Development at NSCC, is a firm believer in career exposure for high school students, while also providing local employers with employees with the skills they need.

“We have a responsibility to expose students to local career opportunities, and this is a great opportunity to provide that, while the learners garner college credit and skills,” said Drewes. He continued, “Our partnerships with OhioMeansJobs are of great value to us; we work side-by-side to provide training, exposure, and a skilled workforce. The conversations with Miller City High School on this new opportunity started almost a year ago, and now here we are with a program that fits their needs, and the needs of the local community.”

Suzy Wischmeyer, Putnam County Jobs & Family Services Director, believes this is exactly the kind of partnerships and activities her office should be participating in: “OhioMeansJobs-Putnam County continues to look for ways to prepare our workforce of the future. We are excited to have this partnership with Northwest State and Miller City High School, where students can begin to gain valuable hands-on skills such as welding in the classroom. The learners can take those skills right into the workforce and be job ready now, or when they graduate from high school.”

As with many local high schools in Northwest Ohio, the one question that all administrations ask is: How do we make our students more employable and stand out above the rest?

Miller City-New Cleveland Superintendent, Kerry Johnson, believes this program can be an answer to the aforementioned question.

“This partnership with Northwest State is an exciting opportunity for our Agribusiness students, but also will serve as a terrific overall addition to our Ag and FFA program,” Johnson said.

Johnson continued, “Specifically, these additional college-level Welding courses should provide our students a leg up on their job-seeking peers. When you consider the hands-on, real-world experiences our students will receive in these courses, pursuing this partnership with Northwest State was a no-brainer.”

Vocational Agriculture Education Instructor, Elizabeth Tietje, will be instructing the course. She understands how impactful this program can be to the local community.

Recently Tietje said, “It is becoming more apparent that companies in Northwest Ohio and across the country need trained welders.

The Northwest State welding program we are starting here at Miller City will give our students the foundation they need to pursue a career in welding, and is a positive step in the right direction for our students and for businesses in the area.”