The OTC Podcast Series

The OTC Podcast Series documents Ohio Technical Centers through structured interviews with the people running, partnering with, and benefiting from adult career and technical education. It has a clear public-service purpose. Rachel Mann generally opens with a guest’s career path, then moves into the practical machinery of a center: who it serves, which programs are growing, how partnerships are built, and why specific credentials matter. The strongest moments come when broad workforce language turns into concrete examples. At Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, the discussion moves from corporate technology experience into multi-craft maintenance labs, nursing pathways, and learners ranging from teenagers to people changing careers later in life. At CTEK, Matt Thompson describes post-secondary adult education, expanded function dental assistant training, and broadband and fiber optics as responses to demand. Auburn Career Center adds a strong emphasis on listening to employers and building custom contracts, including credential programs for people with developmental disabilities and training tied to manufacturing and public safety. Scioto County Career and Technical Center broadens the map further by describing programs at STAR Community Justice Center for incarcerated individuals. Other episodes highlight Warren County Career Center’s location between Cincinnati and Dayton, Upper Valley Career Center’s short-term and relatively inexpensive training model, EHOVI Career Center’s occupational programs and customized business training, and Adena Health’s work with Pickaway Ross Career Technical Center. The show is not built for banter. It is steady, explanatory, and institutionally focused. That steadiness is part of its usefulness. Listeners hear how adult education directors think about enrollment, curriculum, advisory committees, employer relationships, and student confidence. The series also makes room for less glamorous but important details, such as resumes, FAFSA help, open houses, guest speakers, and community connections. Its range is statewide, but its examples stay local. For adult learners, it clarifies what technical training can look like before committing. For employers, it shows how centers can become workforce partners. For educators and civic leaders, it offers a practical snapshot of how Ohio’s career-tech network turns labor shortages into programs, credentials, and second chances.