Guest Column by Charlene Page, Owens Community College
Ask an energy employer in northwest Ohio where their next skilled tradesperson comes from. Increasingly, the answer points back to Owens Community College training programs.
Owens has trained the region’s skilled trades workforce for 60 years, since the earliest days of the college. That history matters more now than ever. The region is one of the nation’s major hubs for energy refining and the petroleum sector. As a result, Owens has long led the way in training and educating the local workforce.
The Owens Center for Workforce Training team partners with leading refinery and energy employers. Together, they deliver customized skilled-trades, operations, safety, engineering, and technology training. These solutions support workforce development and operational excellence for this vital northwest Ohio industry.
Owens Community College Training for Today’s Workforce
Today, the Owens Workforce Solutions and Lifelong Learning Division trains more than 4,100 workers each year. It also supports 94 employer-sponsored apprenticeship programs and delivers customized training to 40 regional companies. Northwest Ohio’s concentration of refining and petroleum employers means the workforce need here looks different than in most of the state. Therefore, Owens built its training pipeline around that reality rather than a generic curriculum.
The Center for Workforce Training provides customizable training directly to employers. In addition, it is building pre-apprenticeship programming. Programs can be tailored to training outcomes, course length, place, and time. Topics range from highly technical skilled-trades instruction to safety, compliance, and even personal development.
A Trusted Partner for Major Regional Employers
Many clients return for Owens Community College training year after year. That loyalty shows sustained partnerships and satisfaction. For example, PBF Energy/Toledo Refining relied on Owens for its Stationary Engineer training. Likewise, Marathon Petroleum is a repeat customer for both technical and professional development topics.
The trainings fall into four primary categories: Industrial Skilled Trades, Operations and Maintenance, Safety and Compliance, and Professional and Technology Skills. These categories translate directly into courses employers can access right now, from technical certifications to safety compliance to office software.
Courses Companies Can Access Now
- High Voltage Power Systems training in AC/DC
- High- and Low-Pressure Boiler Systems
- Stationary Steam Systems
- Microsoft Power Query and BI training, plus additional software and AI systems training, which can be offered online
- Substation training in electrical programs, including the National Electric Code
How to Partner with Owens
Companies can partner with Owens to design and deliver an Owens Community College training solution built for their needs. That could mean a single course or a multi-year apprenticeship pipeline. Getting started is as easy as contacting the Workforce Solutions and Lifelong Learning Division.
If you have questions about any workforce development matters, please contact Charlene Page, Executive Director of Workforce and Economic Development, at Charlene_page@owens.edu.