Utica Shale Academy Expands Energy Training Center

SALINEVILLE, Ohio – A space that was previously used as a bank drive-thru is now a new addition to the Utica Shale Academy Training Center, the organization announced Tuesday.

The 1,250-square-foot space was recently enclosed and will house the center’s diesel mechanics and heavy equipment programs, said Bill Watson, superintendent. The estimated $650,000 project started in May and was finished this month by CCI Construction of Canton.

Watson said funding for the project came through an Appalachian Regional Commissions grant and capital appropriations from the state Legislature.

“Students will do maintenance and repairs of heavy equipment and machinery and will also gain Snap-on credentials,” Watson said. “It’s the start of a new program. We already have heavy equipment, and we need diesel mechanics so kids can use and work the equipment. They are two different courses.”

The training center also boasts hydraulics, electrical, pneumatics, robotics and PLC courses, as well as a partnership with Youngstown State University for 5G communication and 3-D printing programs.

Watson added that officials were also reviewing plans to boost lighting, windows and heating within the site and plan to make improvements at the Williams Collaboration Building nearby at 10 E. Main Street. Meanwhile, plans are also on the drawing board for the welding facility adjacent to the former Hutson Building, which houses programs for grades nine through 12.

The Utica Shale Academy has operated for the past decade and is a dropout recovery-and-retention school focusing on career-tech education for at-risk students. The academy has awarded more than 1,100 certifications since 2021.

The program currently includes 190 students, and the expansion could potentially triple enrollment to about 350 students.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.