Joe Starck, President of The Great Lakes Towing Company attended a roundtable discussion with U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr., U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), U.S. Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH-11), and Cuyahoga Community College President Alex Johnson on August 19, 2016 to discuss college access and affordability at Tri-C. Local students and campus leaders shared their stories and strategies to increase college access, make college affordable, and improve outcomes for all students.

The Great Lakes Towing Company kicks off the 2016-2017 school year by continuing to partner with three Cleveland schools to provide internship and on-the-job training opportunities for local students, including Cuyahoga Community College, Max S. Hayes High School and St. Martin de Porres High School.

Creating a workforce pipeline has become increasingly important. This is especially true for the trades industries and something that the Company has a history of incorporating into their corporate culture. This year, the Company is participating in an internship program sponsored through the MAGNET Workforce and Talent Development Program by Ohio Means Jobs and the Make it in America Grant that Medina County Workforce Development is providing to Northeast Ohio welding students. The Make it in America Grant has been funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA); U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP); and Delta Regional Authority (DRA).

“It was good to hear about the work that Tri-C is doing to align their programs with the practical skills and competencies employers want and need, so that the hard work of students to advance their skills lead to real career opportunities,” King said. “We must continue to work to make all institutions of higher education- including community colleges- accessible, affordable and responsive to the needs of today’s diverse students as well as to the needs of employers.”

“Meeting students and campus leaders at Ohio’s community colleges and universities helps inform the work I do in Washington to ensure that all students can realize the promise an education can provide,” said Sen. Brown.

“As a Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, making college more affordable is one of my top priorities. College is a pathway toward financial stability and career success; we must ensure every student has access to these opportunities,” said Rep. Fudge. “Today’s discussion with Secretary King, Senator Brown, Cuyahoga County College President Johnson, and students, is timely. The conversation leads our state and nation one step closer to developing policy solutions that will make higher education affordable for all.”