OCTC Opening Hancock Innovation Labs, July 15
Owensboro, KY (07/12/2019) — OCTC, in partnership with Hancock County Public Schools (HCPS), is set to unveil three Innovation Labs on Monday, July 15, 2019 at 12 noon, at OCTC's Hancock County Center, located at 8010 Highway 60 West in Lewisport.
In January 2019, OCTC unveiled the first of the multi-faceted Innovation Labs project. The project was funded in 2017 by a $2.85 million-dollar grant through Kentucky's Work Ready Skills Initiative (KWRSI) project.
The initial Innovation Lab project is located at OCTC's Downtown Campus and the Festo Cyber Physical (CP) Smart Factory simulator is the centerpiece. This $750,000 smart factory simulator includes integrated logistics, communication, mechatronics, robotic assembly, and troubleshooting capabilities. It is fully networked and virtually integrated with HMI (human-machine interface), PLCs, Data Acquisition, Collection and Analysis (SCADA), and wireless connection networking. In addition, the first phase includes a state of the art Cyber Innovation Lab at the OCTC Downtown Campus, that will be opened in the Fall.
The Hancock County Center Innovation labs are a partnership with HCPS. These innovation labs include an Information Technology lab, a Virtual Welding lab, and an Industrial Maintenance Technology lab. The labs are fitted with equipment that is mobile to ensure adaptability and maximum use of space.
Kyle Estes, HCPS Superintendent commented, "We are always looking for ways to add additional options for our students. The chance to expose them to new technology and additional career options is integral to our mission."
Specific new equipment for the project includes level and flow trainers, thermal instrument trainers, vibration analysis and thermal imaging maintenance trainers, and software for specialized training.
"This partnership focuses on expanding the options for secondary students and with the mobility and adaptability of the space making it ideal to expand our incumbent worker training for our industry partners" added Scott Williams, OCTC President.
The celebration on July 15 will include a ribbon cutting, brief remarks, tours, and a light lunch. Derrick Ramsey, Secretary of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet is expected to attend.The event is free and open to the public.
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Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.
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The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.
Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC
Media Attachments
OCTC, in partnership with Hancock County Public Schools (HCPS), is set to unveil three Innovation Labs on Monday, July 15, 2019 at 12 noon, at OCTC's Hancock County Center, located at 8010 Highway 60 West in Lewisport. In January 2019, OCTC unveiled the first of the multi-faceted Innovation Labs project. The project was funded in 2017 by a $2.85 million-dollar grant through Kentucky's Work Ready Skills Initiative (KWRSI) project.