Tri-C to Add High-Tech Manufacturing Training Equipment Using $75,000 Grant from Alcoa Foundation

Students will acquire the skills required for jobs in advanced manufacturing

Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) will use a $75,000 grant from Alcoa Foundation to upgrade its manufacturing lab with computer-controlled machines, robotic arms and other technological tools vital to training tomorrow’s workforce.

The new equipment will make Tri-C students more proficient with smart manufacturing methods, better preparing them for in-demand industrial jobs requiring increased technical skills.

“Today’s manufacturing jobs require skilled workers proficient with the latest technology in the industry,” said Alicia Booker, vice president of manufacturing with Tri-C’s Workforce, Community and Economic Development (WCED) division. “Alcoa Foundation’s generosity ensures that our students will train on equipment they will encounter in the ever-evolving manufacturing world.”

The grant from Alcoa Foundation will go toward purchasing programmable logic control systems, robotic manufacturing arms, a 36-foot-long conveyer system and scanners that will position parts throughout the system for quality assurance work.

Tri-C is developing the training program in conjunction with industry leaders such as Alcoa to ensure graduates develop the skills needed to immediately contribute to the success of companies. The Siemens Mechatronics Systems Certification Program (SMSCP) will be integrated into the new training program, providing participants the opportunity to earn a nationally recognized certificate.

“Digital technology and automation is a growing part of doing business in today’s economy across all sectors, from aerospace to electronics,” said Ryan Kish, Alcoa Foundation Program Manager. “Alcoa, and other advanced manufacturers, require a higher-skilled employee than just a decade ago to manage and interpret this new level of data and use it to problem-solve in real time. Students in Tri-C’s upgraded training center will learn to interpret and react to data streaming from smart tools to experience ‘in the moment’ action that affects productivity, quality and delivery.”

The equipment will serve as the centerpiece of the College’s revamped manufacturing center. The Unified Technologies Center (UTC) — which opened in 1986 — is undergoing a renovation to house the College’s Manufacturing Technology Center of Excellence. Plans call for the new equipment to be installed by the middle of the year on the main floor of the UTC, located along Woodland Avenue at the College’s Metropolitan Campus in Cleveland.

Alcoa Foundation awarded the grant to Tri-C through the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation. A check presentation attended by officials from the College and Alcoa took place Monday at the UTC. Alcoa has been a long-term partner of the College and made a lasting impact on the region through workforce initiatives, veterans programs and scholarships to provide educational opportunities.

About Alcoa Foundation
Alcoa Foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the U.S., with assets of approximately $480 million. Founded 64 years ago, Alcoa Foundation has invested more than $635 million in communities worldwide. In 2015, Alcoa Foundation contributed more than $22 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the world, building innovative partnerships to improve the environment and educate tomorrow's leaders for careers in manufacturing and engineering. The work of Alcoa Foundation is further enhanced by Alcoa's thousands of employee volunteers who share their talents and time to make a difference in the communities where Alcoa operates. Through the Company's signature Month of Service program, in 2015, 47 percent of Alcoa employees took part in 1,000 events across 24 countries, benefiting more than 300,000 people and 400 nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit alcoafoundation.com and follow @AlcoaFoundation on Twitter.

January 28, 2016

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