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CALLING ALL MAKERS!
2020 WV Makes Festival features month 
of making, popular Design Challenge  

---RCBI's annual celebration of ingenuity and creativity returns for a seventh year with a month of virtual making.
---The 2020 West Virginia Makes Festival will feature the traditional Design Challenge in which participants of all ages create unique inventions. This year's challengers must submit videos up to 3 minutes long explaining their creations and the making process. Winners will be announced Tuesday, Oct. 27, during a live online event.
---The festival also will feature weekly Maker Master Classes & Events, including an Oct. 5 class on 3D Design & Printing for all skill levels. Each 1 to 1.5 hour class costs $25 and includes hands-on making activities. 
---For more information or to sign up for either the Design Challenger or one of our weekly maker events, click the link below.  
Apprenticeships offer path
to workforce solutions
 
---Industry representatives will share their insights about registered apprenticeship during an Oct. 8 webinar, hosted by the Robert C. Byrd Institute. The webinar will feature representatives from EuropTec, based in Clarksburg; and Weyerhaeuser-Sutton, which partner with Apprenticeship Works at RCBI on registered apprenticeship programs.
---Apprenticeship Works at RCBI and the Apprenticeship in Motion team from the West Virginia Development Office are partnering on this webinar to share with West Virginia manufacturers how the two organizations can assist in administration and funding of employer-driven apprenticeship programs.
---The free webinar is from 2-3 p.m. For more information, contact Becky Calwell at 304.720.7740 or bcalwell@rcbi.org.
State symposium to focus on
expanding entrepreneurship 
  
---RCBI and a group of strategic partners are bringing together the best thinkers and doers from across the state to pioneer ways to expand and improve the state's entrepreneurship ecosystem.
---The 2020 West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Virtual Symposium will feature free educational sessions on Nov. 10, 17 and 24 covering such topics as Entrepreneurship in the Time of Covid, Entrepreneurship Education (K-20), and Government's Role in Expanding Entrepreneurship in West Virginia.
---Each virtual hour-long event is part of the West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem's participation in National Entrepreneur Month. For more information or to register, click the link below.
S U C C E S S  S T O R Y
RCBI help enables company
to secure new contracts 
  
---Dixon Electrical Systems & Contracting, a successful Huntington-based business, has been serving clients across six states for more than 20 years. During that time, the full-service company has grown and now employs more than 65 people to serve its residential, commercial and industrial customers.
---When Dixon officials saw an opportunity to diversify and expand their business by competing to become a supplier to Rockwell Automation, a national leader in industrial systems, they seized the chance.
---First, Dixon had to establish a Quality Management system that met Rockwell's standards for becoming a contractor.
--To achieve this requirement, Dixon turned to RCBI, which has a 30-year history of assisting companies in their efforts to establish and maintain quality systems. The company applied for and was awarded an Early-Stage Funding Opportunity (ESFO) grant from RCBI to help implement the requisite standards to bid on the Rockwell contract. 
Choose from more than 500 online manufacturing classes 
  
--Although businesses have re-opened, the continued presence of the Covid-19 virus in our communities has limited activities, including some in-person training. RCBI can deliver classes through online learning to keep everyone safe ---   and skilled.
   Our affordable and accessible classes can help employees develop critical skills. Employers or individuals can choose from more than 500 online classes covering manufacturing, quality management, lean practices, safety, internal auditing and leadership skills.
---To learn more about online training options available through RCBI, email Carol Howerton at carol.howerton@rcbi.org.
SBA offers full slate of free
small business training events 
 
---The West Virginia District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration will present a series of free webinars during October to help owners navigate the complexities of operating small businesses, especially during the pandemic.
---Training sessions include:
IMPORTANT DATES

Oct. 5: Master Maker Class: 3D Design & Printing. 6 pm-7:15 pm. More information 
Oct. 8: Apprenticeships: A WV Workforce Solution. 2 pm-3 pm. More information 
Oct. 8: Regional Contracting Assistance Center Marketing to Agencies & Primes. 2 pm. More information
Oct. 17: Reeve Run & Roll International Virtual 5K. All day. More information
Oct. 19: TechConnect Women in Technology Conference. 9 am-noon. More information 
Oct. 19: Master Maker Class: 2D Design & Laser Cutting. 6 pm-7:15 pm. More information 
Oct. 27: WV Makes Festival Design Challenge Winners Announced. 1:30 pm-2:30 pm. More information
Oct. 29: NCWV Business Summit - Bridges Without Boundaries. 8 am-3:30 pm More information 
Nov. 10, 17 & 24: Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Virtual Symposium. More information
Nov. 16-20: Small Communities, Big Solutions Conference. 9 am-3:30 pm daily. More information
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