Leaders say Cincinnati State, Butler Tech agreement will smooth transfer, improve job readiness and help regional economy

July 8, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2015

CONTACT
Robert White
Media Relations/Communications Coordinator
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(859) 468-6640 (cell)
robert.white@cincinnatistate.edu

Leaders say Cincinnati State, Butler Tech agreement will smooth
transfer, improve job-readiness and help regional economy
Students – and, ultimately, the region’s economy – will benefit from the academic agreement signed today between Butler Technology and Career Development Schools and Cincinnati State, leaders of the two institutions said.
The agreement ensure that students who successfully complete specific adult education programs at Butler Tech will be able to transfer all their credits to matching programs at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.
It also includes language designed to ensure that registration processes, deadlines, grading systems and the like are compatible.
“We think it will help our students achieve their educational goals efficiently, and take full advantage of the resources of both institutions,” added Bill Miller, Superintendent/CEO of Butler Tech.
Monica Posey, Provost at Cincinnati State and one of the architects of the agreement, said the agreement represents an effort to use resources more efficiently and help those who wish to pursue an associate degree reach their goals faster and with less expense.
“This should be a winner for everyone – certainly for students, taxpayers and each of our institutions,” she said.
Initially, said Amy Waldbillig, Vice President for Workforce Development at Cincinnati State and one of the officials who will be responsible for implementation of the agreement, the two schools will focus on a handful of key programs where each already has complementary programming. These include:

State Tested Nursing Assistants
Butler Tech offers a comprehensive STNA program. Cincinnati State has a robust nursing and health care curriculum, and its RN nursing program requires incoming students to first earn STNA credentials.

Welding
Butler Tech has a popular and highly regarded entry-level welding training program. Cincinnati State not only offers similar courses, it recently launched an associate degree program in welding and has landed federal workforce training grants to expand its welding labs and upgrade equipment to meet growing employer demand.

Commercial Driver’s License
With the emergence of southwestern Ohio as one of the nation’s largest logistics hubs, commercial trucking has become an important part of the regional economy. Butler Tech’s CDL program has proven to be a fertile source of recruits for the trucking industry, while Cincinnati State has recently launched an associate degree program in logistics that covers the whole span of the industry, from warehousing to transportation to IT systems for tracking the movements of materials and other carriers.

The agreement anticipates that students in the affected programs will co-enroll in both Butler Tech and Cincinnati State. Hence it provides for program reviews by each institution, revenue sharing, certification of faculty and other operating details.

Miller and Dr. Posey said they hope to start the co-enrollment program this Fall.
ABOUT BUTLER TECH
Butler Tech, opened in 1975, was one of the first joint vocational school districts in Ohio and today is one of the state’s largest career-technical schools, annually serving over 27,000 high school and adult students. The Adult Workforce Education division offers full-time and part-time programming in three major career clusters: industrial technologies, healthcare, and public safety. In addition, customized workplace training and assessments are offered to area employers for tailored learning solutions for both prospective hires and incumbent workers.
ABOUT CINCINNATI STATE
Cincinnati State (www.cincinnatistate.edu) enrolls about 10,500 students and offers more than 130 associate degree and certificate programs in business technologies, health and public safety, engineering technologies, humanities and sciences and information technologies. Cincinnati State has one of the most comprehensive co-op programs among two-year colleges in the U.S.

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