President John M. Berry, PhD
John M. Berry, PhD, assumed the role of COTC president on January
1, 2019, and is the college’s second sole president. He was
unanimously selected by the COTC Board of Trustees after a
nationwide search.
Having previously served as director of student life at COTC,
Berry returned to the college after positions at Cape Fear
Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina; Rhodes State
College in Lima, Ohio; and most recently, BridgeValley Community
and Technical College in Montgomery, West Virginia.
After starting his own education at a community college, Berry
went on to earn a doctoral degree in Higher Education
Administration from The Ohio State University.
COTC is Ready to Fill Intel’s Skilled Workforce Pipeline
Prepare now to join the workforce of the future
Friends of Central Ohio Technical College (COTC),
For COTC, Intel’s announced plan to hire 70% of its Ohio
workforce at the associate degree level draws welcome attention
to the relevance of two-year degrees. This high-profile
announcement reaffirms what our local industries have known for
decades — associate degrees offer excellent career-ready training
and skills that employers need.
Intel plans to hire 50% of its Ohio workforce in 2023-2024
For those interested in working for Intel or preparing for the
many other advanced manufacturing jobs with current or incoming
employers, the time to act is now. Intel recently
announced it will hire 50% of its Ohio workforce in
2023-2024. And for COTC graduates, there’s good news.
Intel representatives have reviewed COTC’s electrical engineering technology associate
degree and found that our graduates will be well-positioned
for technician jobs with Intel Ohio.
In addition to Central Ohio’s escalating need for engineering and
advanced manufacturing technicians, increased demands for IT,
healthcare, business and public safety professionals are
projected to accompany business and population growth. Thankfully
for central Ohioans, COTC was already a trusted regional leader
in providing career training in these fields.
And, long before Intel’s announcement, COTC was hard at work
redefining how we will prepare the workforce of tomorrow — for
both established and new industries.
We’re invested in you
In addition to our low tuition, COTC offers more than $1 million in scholarships annually, making
college an affordable option for a broad range of students. In
Coshocton and Knox counties, the COTC
Promise guarantees to fund the gap between tuition
(instructional and general fees) and remaining student need for
eligible students after all other private scholarships and
institutional, federal and state aid are exhausted. Under the
program, all tuition will be covered for students annually
reporting a household income of $60,000 or less on the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
College credit for what you know
Significantly, COTC also increases affordability by awarding college credit for what students already
know, understanding that not all learning happens in the
classroom. COTC will work to save students time and money by
reviewing their work and other learning experiences and awarding
college credit for those experiences when possible. Prior
learning credit can be invaluable in helping students get into a
career quickly and affordably.
Helping students succeed
COTC puts students first — offering academic, personal and
wrap-around support services — always free. This year, the
college redesigned its Student Success
Center, which will provide holistic support for students
throughout every aspect of their lives. Along with traditional
tutoring and learning skills, success coaches will help students
overcome other barriers that often lead to less than successful
outcomes or even dropping out of school. Success coaches will
connect students with local resources to help overcome barriers
with housing, childcare, transportation, food insecurity and
other challenges so they can stay on track with their academic
program.
Flexibility to meet your needs
COTC is ready to help Ohioans gain the necessary career skills to
join the workforce of the future by offering convenient,
affordable and flexible training that will position them quickly
for in-demand careers. To help students fit education into
today’s busy lifestyles, COTC offers four
convenient campus locations in Pataskala, Knox, Newark
Coshocton, plus online and
hybrid course formats.
We encourage everyone, from high school students to those who
want to change careers, to those who never thought college was
for them, to take advantage of the many career opportunities
possible to change or improve the trajectory of their lives.
Join us
The time is now, and we’re ready to do everything we can to help
our students succeed. Because an extraordinary future is waiting.
John M. Berry, PhD
President
