AKRON, Ohio - Stark State College Akron is putting the finishing touches on its new facility, set to open for classes this fall in the heart of Akron.

Designed to eventually house 5,000 students seeking associate degrees and certificates in 230 programs, Stark State Akron is in line to receive more than $3.4 million from Ohio's proposed capital budget.

About 1,000 students, the school's capacity, are currently enrolled at the college's temporary site at White Pond in West Akron. The entire operation is expected to move to the new site off Perkins Street within 12-18 months, said Stark State President Para Jones.

About $2.9 million of the state funds will go toward completing the top and bottom floors of the college. Science and health labs will be housed above while lower level labs will be equipped to give students hands-on experience in such areas as electrical and mechanical engineering, and computer numerical control (CNC) programming for precision machining.

The 60,000-square-foot facility also will offer 21 classrooms, advising and instructors' offices, a book store, study nooks, and a vending and lounging area.

Officials waited to complete the top and bottom floors to allow student demand to determine what educational tracks would be offered.

"The temporary location at White Pond, which has been operating for a year, gave us some ideas for programs of the greatest interest for our Akron students," Jones said. "We wanted to gauge the interest and the need in the community."

The college is situated at a high elevation off Perkins Street and in close proximity to Route 8, an ideal location that took months to find, Jones said.

"It all came down to proximate sufficient parking and that was a tall order for us" Jones said. "We're very delighted with the Perkins location and our 11-acre site."

The Knight Foundation will help the college create a sense of place by adding outdoor amenities and creating a walkable connection from the college into downtown. And, a few blocks south is the university, where most Stark State students who wish to continue their education will transfer.

"This offers students more opportunities and really facilitates that student experience," she said.

Stark State officials regularly meet with employers around the region, and watch state and national trends, to understand what fields are most in demand at any given time.

In healthcare alone, always a high demand field, Stark State offers 41 degrees and certificates. Currently state-tested nurse assistant, phlebotomy and dental hygienist are at the top of the list.

For Stark's dental hygienist program, started 24 years ago, the college received support from the Akron Dental Society, the GAR Foundation and individual dentists to construct the school's dental hygienist clinic.

"With the aging population especially in our region, we expect the demand to continue for these programs if not increase dramatically," Jones said.

Another high-demand field, ranking No. 2 nationally , is commercial truck driving, for which the state budget allocated $350,000.

Stark State worked with the city of Akron and Summit County to identify a site in East Akron that's appropriate for training students who want to earn their commercial driver's licenses.

The 217,000 square-foot property, a former lumber yard off Crosier Street, is large enough for semi-trucks and offers both gravel and paved surfaces. Eventually, the college will erect a building there for students to do classwork, she said. With the number of trucking firms in the region, the program is expected to draw students from across the region.

The state also allocated $200,000 for expansion of the Barberton Head Start program. Stark State offers degrees and certificates in early childhood education and has partnered for years with Head Start's parent organization, Akron Summit Community Action Inc.

Barberton is also the headquarters for the college's mobile welding unit, which houses 17 welding stations and will be making regular stops in Akron for training.

For student who want guidance in determining the right field to pursue for their interests, the college will offer career services, which includes resources on in-demand fields as well as access to career specialists.

For more information about Stark State College Akron or to apply, visit the website or call 330-494-6170, ext. 4670.

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