Lt. Governor Jim Tressel visited with students at EHOVE Career Center in Milan on March 31. (Submitted photo)

MILAN – Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel visited EHOVE Career Center on March 31, engaging with high school and adult students and faculty across multiple programs to discuss career pathways, workforce development and the importance of career technical education in strengthening Ohio’s economy.

“EHOVE is a great example of how our state’s career technical centers are preparing students for success in Ohio’s workforce,” Tressel said. “The students here bring great enthusiasm and great talent for a variety of programs where they’re learning skills that are in demand in the job market right now.”

During his visit, Tressel explored EHOVE’s Exercise Science & Rehab Therapy program, where students demonstrated their work with an Anatomage table—an advanced digital anatomy tool. Discussions included the importance of students shadowing athletic trainers and opportunities to participate in school-based health clinics, a key initiative highlighted in Governor DeWine’s State of the State address.

In the Criminal Justice program, Tressel toured a newly built house simulator, constructed last week within the classroom to provide students with hands-on, real-world training.

Both the Anatomage table and Criminal Justice simulator were funded through Ohio’s Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program.

The Firefighter/EMT program showcased state-of-the-art simulators and equipment acquired through the Ohio BWC Safety Intervention Grant. EHOVE students can earn their Firefighter II certification and Basic EMT credentials – critical qualifications for becoming full-fledged firefighters.

Tressel also stopped in the Manufacturing Design & Robotics program lab to see CNC mills and lathes in action and to see the robot built by EHOVE’s robotics team that competes across the state and country and is backed by many area businesses, including NASA’s Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility as the team’s primary sponsor. The encounter highlighted the innovation and technical expertise fostered within EHOVE’s programs.

After talking with EHOVE student ambassadors about their future careers and career tech education experiences at EHOVE, the Lt. Governor concluded his visit by meeting with EHOVE leadership. They explored strategies for sharing best practices across other regions of the state through Ohio’s Workforce Playbook, aiming to strengthen collaboration and enhance workforce development initiatives statewide.

Tressel’s visit reinforced the state’s commitment to expanding career pathways and ensuring Ohio remains a leader in workforce readiness and economic growth.

“Under the leadership of Governor DeWine, Ohio has so many incredible programs going on to support career technical education, not to mention his support for bringing new businesses and jobs into the state,” Tressel said. “Our next step is to bring it all together by connecting students like those at EHOVE with great jobs, close to home. That’s the work we’ll be doing as we establish Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.”