Tri-C Mobile Training Unit Helps Manufacturers Regain Momentum

Classroom-on-wheels returns to road after being sidelined by COVID-19 outbreak

Northeast Ohio’s manufacturing sector is rolling again following disruptions created by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The same can be said for the mobile training unit at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®), a classroom-on-wheels that brings customized training directly to regional companies and schools.

A column in this week’s edition of Crain’s Cleveland Business outlines how the mobile unit helps manufacturers keep pace with ever-evolving industry demands to stay competitive in the global marketplace.

The column was co-written by Alicia Booker, vice president of manufacturing at Tri-C, and Jim Malz, Midwest Region executive and Ohio president at Citizens Bank.

Citizens Bank has provided funding to the College to support the mobile unit and its mission.

The retrofitted truck trailer is equipped with classroom space and a lab environment featuring state-of-the-art technology. It can be tailored to accommodate a variety of classes in automation/robotics, hydraulics, programmable logic controller, electrical and more.

“Each session inside the unit helps workers stay current on industry advances without leaving their worksite,” Booker and Malz wrote. “The beauty of the mobile unit is that it meets people where they are, saving employees time in a business climate where every minute counts.”

Click here to read the column.

The mobile unit debuted in 2017 and has been in demand ever since. The innovative approach to workforce training has drawn national attention, including a featured story in The New York Times.

June 22, 2020

John Horton, 216-987-4281 john.horton@tri-c.edu