From NORTHWEST OHIO TRACTOR PULLERS ASSOCIATION
Owens Community College’s Department of Transportation Technologies has partnered with the Northwest Ohio Tractor Pullers Association to enhance the student experience in the John Deere Tech program.
The department recently welcomed Dave Schultz, the president of the NWOTPA, to speak to students in the John Deere Tech program and to kick off an unofficial partnership between the school and organization. He spoke to the students about his background, how he started in tractor pulling, and how important a skilled labor workforce is in the Northwest Ohio region.
It was also a way for the department to build connections for its students outside of the classroom.
“We’re partnering with them so we can get our John Deere and diesel students more familiar with other avenues that communities have, make sure their skills and knowledge they gain here connects to the outside,” Owens transportation technologies chair Joseph Hengeli said.
The NWOTPA is the host organization for the National Tractor Pulling Championships in Bowling Green, the largest outdoor pull in the world. This year’s event will be held Aug. 14-16 at the Wood County Fairgrounds.
For Schultz, the visit was important not only to expose a new generation of potential pulling fans to the event but also for the NWOTPA to experience what Owens is doing in its programs.
“That’s what is important to us, seeing that the next generation is advancing themselves to be able to do the pulling,” Schultz said.
More than 60,000 spectators are expected at the three-day event. The 13 Super Grand National classes of the National Tractor Pulling Association will compete in Bowling Green.
Representatives and students from the Owens transportation technology department will be there to promote and talk about the program. Not only is it viewed as important to attract potential students to Owens but also as a recruiting tool for future instructors.
“We’re looking to connect with those individuals at those events because that’s where they’re at, that’s their hobbies,” Hengeli said. “We want someone who’s passionate about what they’re working on, and we want to get them involved here at Owens.”
To learn more about Transportation Technologies at Owens, visit owens.edu/stem.
