Resources :: Education
Partner Schools
One critical need in an emerging industry is access to a skilled workforce. Training and education are central to the Wright Fuel Cell Group strategy—generating awareness of new technology, providing a skilled workforce to existing and new industry, and creating future commercialization opportunities. As a mutual benefit for university students and Ohio businesses in the group, side-by-side interaction during research and real-world development creates a unique talent pool of students ready to work for fuel-cell related businesses after college. The goal is to broaden the talent pool for Ohio businesses through recruitment and through development in state. Wright Group training and education activities will focus on the following:
TRAINING TYPE |
TARGET |
Education |
|
Vocational |
High School, Skilled Workforce |
Retraining |
Skilled Workforce |
Two-Year Degree |
Technical Students |
Four-Year Degree |
Engineers |
Graduate/PhD |
Engineers/Scientists |
|
|
Professional |
|
Business Administration Concepts Short Course |
Technical Professionals |
Product & Technical Training |
Business Professionals |
Advanced Technical within a Technology or Industry |
Technical Professionals |
The Wright Group offers unparalleled opportunity for curriculum development
and distance learning, from K-16 through continuing education. These efforts
will build upon the extensive ongoing efforts at academic partners and transform
Ohio into the premier provider of fuel cell education. Supporting this approach,
Stark State received a three-year, $780,000 grant from the NSF to develop
curriculum in fuel cell education beginning in high school College Tech Prep
(CTP) programs, advancing through associate and undergraduate degrees. The
Ohio Department of Education solidly endorses the approach and will assist
in developing a curriculum with business through the CTP curriculum-development
process. The grant will provide funding to develop distance education modules
primarily through the University of Toledo, which has experience with degree
programs offered entirely in distance learning. Recently, UT was recognized
by the state as the leader in the delivery of distance education, with an
availability of over 400 online courses in numerous disciplines. Faculty
will have opportunities to attend workshops in developing teaching techniques
for the developed fuel cell curriculum from high school through technical
and community college.
With Stark State’s NSF grant, coupled with the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition’s
education committee and the Wright Group, the following outcomes
are expected:
•
College Tech Prep programs in fuel cell technologies to begin preparation
of high school students for Third Frontier careers;
•
Associate degree curricula in fuel cell technologies will affect
students in critical education and employment regions throughout
the state;
•
Synergistic opportunities in fuel cell technology by integrating
two-year and four-year programs in engineering technology and engineering,
creating shared curriculum enhancements, and strengthening program
articulation; and
•
Professional development opportunities for teachers and faculty from
high school through postsecondary levels to enhance their understanding
of fuel cell technology and expand their utilization of innovative
and effective teaching methodologies in the classroom.
In the next five years, the Wright Group will have the most comprehensive
fuel cell education program in the Midwest, composed of continuing education,
College Tech Prep, and two-year, undergraduate, and graduate education.
Fuel cell related programs at partner schools:
http://www.engineering.case.edu/
http://www.starkstate.edu/
http://www.csuohio.edu/engineering/
http://www.eng.ohio-state.edu/
http://www.eng.utoledo.edu/main.shtml