UC Clermont, Grant Center partnership offers innovative manufacturing engineering education

UC Clermont College students are now busy learning and collaborating in the renovated computer-aided manufacturing lab at Grant Career Center in Bethel, Ohio — a setup made possible by a cutting-edge partnership between the two institutions earlier this year.

Despite the pandemic, the college, which leases the space from Grant and teaches all courses with UC Clermont faculty, worked with the center to renovate the lab and met their goal for a fall launch.

“The new facility is working out great,” said UC Clermont’s MET Program Coordinator Chris Goodman. “Both institutions came together, developed a good plan and executed it over summer — it worked out perfectly. We were not slowed down by COVID.”

In all, 22 students are currently enrolled in UC Clermont’s Manufacturing Engineering associate degree program, and another 15 in the bachelor’s degree in Applied Administration, with a focus in Manufacturing Engineering. Students range from those taking part in College Credit Plus — an Ohio program that allows high school students to take courses for dual high school and college credit — to nontraditional students returning to further their education. Grant provides career and technical education to secondary students; Engineering Design is one of 13 career technical programs offered at the Bethel location.

“The partnership creates a unique opportunity for our high school students to not only get a jump on their college classes, but work with college students and professors deeply focused on Manufacturing Engineering Technology,” said Mike Parry, superintendent of Grant Career Center. “Through partnership, we have created new spaces, new learning environments and new educational experiences right here in Bethel on Grant Career Center’s campus.”

Goodman agrees that the program and facility have the potential to open new doors for students.

“This program provides a great opportunity to high school students,” Goodman said. “CCP students can actually complete a degree in this area for first time, either finishing in high school or right after. We built something here that offers flexibility to serve a large variety of students.”