After years of planning, Ranken Technical College opens Workforce Development Center

ASHLAND — Described as a collaboration among education, government and industry officials on Friday hyped Ranken Technical College's new Workforce Development Center as a boon for students and a boon for students and employers.

The college, in a new, 20,000-square-foot building at 975 Perry Ave., is conducting a soft opening and on Friday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening.

The private, not-for-profit college is based in St. Louis.

Tim Roth, superintendent of the Southern Boone School District, said he was encouraged by the opening.

"The stories of success, the innovative ideas and the shared vision for workforce development remind us that when we work together we can accomplish incredible things," Roth said. "Our students will now have access to cutting edge training, real-world experiences and the support they need to embark on successful careers."

The first meetings about the idea happened in 2015, said Dave Westhoff, a member of the fundraising committee, after the event.

"I thought that there's a good chance for this" even in the beginning, Westhoff said.

A pandemic didn't slow the project much, officials said at the time.

Another early promoter, Bill Lloyd, spoke during the ceremony.

"It took persistence, effort and lot of people pitching in," Lloyd said.

The effort is designed to create a pipeline of skilled workers in central Missouri, Lloyd said.

"This mission from this point on is not only to create that pipeline, but to ensure its longevity," he said.

This is another option for students who may not want or need a four-year degree, said Ranken President Don Pohl.

"We learn by doing," Pohl said. "We allow students to have that real work experience that's so important for them to learn."

It works with high schools to find students aiming to enter the workforce, Pohl said. It also advances the skill sets of current workers through training. It also customizes training for industry.

"We do what industry wants," Pohl said.

The college's education formula is in three parts: creating technically-competent workers; general education; and work ethic, including employability skills.

General education is as important as any of the other parts, Pohl said.

"Employers want employees who can read, write and communicate," Pohl said.

The college is promoting its Summer Adventure Academies for area middle school students.

The project received $4.5 million from the U.S. Department of Economic Development, represented at the ceremony by Chad Eggin.

Manufacturing is the lifeblood of many communities and Ranken keeps manufacturing at the center of job creation, Eggin said.

Away from the ceremony, carpentry students Max Chegwidden and Oscar Cordell showed off a wooden structure they had made. They both were attracted to the hands-on training they're receiving and both have a goal of working in carpentry or construction.

The project also received $1.5 million in state funding.

Elsewhere in the building, information technology students Jonathan Frangenberg and Curt Lynn worked to install Cisco networking equipment on a rack, to be used as the school's server.

The careers they're seeking are secure and well-paid, they said.

"It pays halfway decent, considering where our society is," Lynn said.

"It's future-based," Frangenberg said. "This job's not going away soon."

The two joked with one another as they maneuvered to install the equipment.

"You're fired," Lynn said at one point.

"I haven't had my first job yet," Frangenberg said.

Some interesting positioning was required to install the required screws.

"This is why IT people work in groups," Lynn said.

A family member tipped him off to the college, Lynn said.

Frangenberg said his mom had seen a news story about it.

"It was just kind of a godsend," Frangenberg said.

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on X at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Ranken Technical College in Ashland plans to train skilled workers