CENOVUS SAYS

SHAWNEE LIFE Cenovus supports new Ohio State Lima degree, workforce development

First-year students work in the lab during a manufacturing processes 1 class this fall.

As with many local companies, Cenovus Lima Refinery is always looking for people in technical roles with specialized skills, and we want to support home-grown solutions for us and for regional workforce development in general.

The Ohio State University at Lima is doing just that, launching the Bachelor of Science in Engineering program in Autumn 2020 on three of the university’s regional campuses, including Ohio State Lima. This unique degree was developed to address the gap between education and industry and focuses on industrial manufacturing leadership development. The program integrates teaching and learning with industry examples, laboratory equipment and manufacturing experts as faculty and mentors.

To help launch the program and attract and retain students in the degree, Cenovus provides funding for a guaranteed scholarship; any student enrolled in the program receives the support. To date, Cenovus has provided $37,500 for BSET students and an additional $12,500 for the Lima Opportunity Scholarship, for students who face barriers to college education. Some of the funding supported a challenge match, which meant the university was able to increase the impact of the dollars.

The program is growing in its new space, the Engineering Education Manufacturing Center (EEMC), with dedicated lab space and equipment. The center is a partnership between Ohio State and Ford Lima Engine Plant. In 2021, the two announced the agreement to locate the EEMC in the former Ford Lima Engine Plant Training Center and this past fall marked the first semester with classes.

The program currently has 25 students and will graduate its first class in spring of 2024.

A BSET graduate would be considered for jobs at the refinery in project or reliability engineering; supervisory or planning maintenance roles; and process controls work. One of the refinery’s senior leaders sits on the degree curriculum advisory group and the refinery will host students so they can better understand the refinery career options.

“BSET graduates are continuous learners, problem solvers, and leaders, all good fits for the refinery, where our employees are essential to our operation and we value learning from our performance, empowering a questioning attitude and team backup,” said Dean Hempfling, Acting Vice President, Lima Refinery. “Young people have significant opportunities near their hometowns. We’re fortunate to have first-class education options, such as Ohio State, and really good jobs available here.”