A P R I L--2 0 2 1
Hearst funds scholarships
for underrepresented students
---
---A new scholarship for underrepresented students is now available for students enrolled in RCBI's careers skills programs.
---Thanks to a $50,000 grant from The Hearst Foundations, rural/low income, female, and minority students who enroll in RCBI’s Machinist Technology/CNC and Welding Technology programs are eligible for scholarships for career skills classes that are offered in collaboration with Mountwest Community & Technical College.
---The Hearst Foundations, founded in 1946 by media mogul William Randolph Hearst, fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.
---Both the Machinist Technology/CNC and Welding
Technology programs are enrolling students for the fall term.
---For more information about scholarship opportunities, contact RCBI's Carol Howerton at carol.howerton@rcbi.org or 304.781.1680.
RCBI assists Navy with adoption
of 3D printing, related technology
---Navy sailors aboard the USS Tulsa now have access to 3D printing technology and the know-how to use it thanks, in part, to RCBI and its Apprenticeship Works partner AST2.
---RCBI’s Apprenticeship Works and AST2 (Applied Systems & Technology Transfer) recently provided virtual training to help sailors prepare to use 3D printing technology while at sea. The ship’s captain as well as its chief engineer Lt. Andrew Bardwell – himself a user of 3D printers at home – asked for volunteers to sign up for the additive manufacturing (3D printing) pre-apprenticeship.
---Members of the ship’s crew were taught to set up, operate and maintain LulzBot 3D printers and learned related computer-aided-design techniques as well as how to operate Artec precision scanning equipment. Once at sea, sailors will practice what they’ve learned by 3D printing components used on the ship.
---Morgan Smith, a design engineer based at RCBI Huntington, delivered computer-aided design training last month via Zoom to Navy personnel aboard the USS Tulsa some 2,200 miles away in San Diego. Before an item can be 3D printed, a drawing must be generated using 3D-modeling software then transferred to the 3D printer, which reads the data to build the item.
Expo to connect small suppliers
with major WV healthcare providers
---RCBI and Advantage Valley, in coordination with the West Virginia Development Office, will sponsor a free virtual expo May 5 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. to link small suppliers with major state healthcare providers.
---Participants in the West Virginia Healthcare Supply Chain Expo will learn about the processes to become suppliers to such healthcare providers as Charleston Area Medical Center, Mountain Health Network (Cabell Huntington Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center) and Thomas Health (Thomas Memorial Hospital and St. Francis Hospital).
---Examples of what these healthcare providers are looking for include:
  • Hospital Furniture
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs)
  • Patient Monitoring Devices
  • Vendor Check-In and Credentialing Services
  • Cleaning and Disinfecting Products or Services
  • Facilities Management Services
---Individuals and small businesses can register for the free video conference at www.rcbi.org/healthcareexpo.
  Derek Scarbro, RCBI director of business development, said previous expos were win-win situations for participants, enabled several small businesses in the region to secure new contracts with large companies while helping those large companies find goods and services at competitive prices closer to home, resulting in reduced costs and a shorter supply chain.
RCBI to offer virtual hands-on
3D printing & Maker Camps
---RCBI has announced dates for its popular series of statewide 3D Printing and Maker Camps for middle and high school students.
---Three virtual week-long “Design to Production” camps will run 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily June 21-25, July 12-16 and July 19-23. Participants will engage directly in all aspects of manufacturing -- from developing their own product ideas, through the design and testing phase of new products to prototyping, manufacturing and marketing.
---Students will utilize computer-aided-design software to create and model their own unique designs that will then be 3D printed and laser cut on computer-controlled equipment at RCBI. Students’ creations will be mailed to them at the conclusion of the camps.
---Because the interactive, hands-on STEM camps will be presented virtually, students ages 9 to 16 from West
Virginia and surrounding states may enroll in any of the three camps. The cost is $60 for each camper. A limited number of full scholarships are available thanks to the support of Suddenlink by Altice. To apply for a scholarship, register for the camp then fill out the scholarship application in lieu of submitting payment information.
Learn how to become a supplier
to the Department of Defense
---The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awarded more than $75 billion in prime contracts to small businesses in 2019. Learn how your company can become a contractor for the DoD at a virtual event hosted by RCBI and our partners at the AIM Higher Consortium May 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The AIM Higher Consortium is a comprehensive initiative funded by the DoD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) designed to strengthen the defense industrial ecosystem in southwest Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. However, companies from any county in West Virginia may participate in the virtual event.
The expo will introduce manufacturers to the resources of the AIM Higher Consortium and help them make connections with purchasing organizations within the DOD.
State's first flying robotics competition takes off May 15
---RCBI and NASA's Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility have teamed up with the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation to sponsor West Virginia's first flying robotics competition for middle & high school students.
---The event offers students an opportunity to get hands-on experience in STEM education in the form of a fun, fast-paced game. Students will learn to safely operate a drone, work as a team and research workforce applications of aerial robotics technology.
---The competition will take place at Huntington Tri-State Airport Saturday, May 15, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Teams are limited to four people (adults and students) and all attendees must complete a brief health screening before entering the venue. Masks are required and no in-person spectators will be allowed.
---Regardless of whether students have a drone or any experience operating one, they are encouraged to participate.
---The deadline to register is May 8. Scholarships are provided by the REC Foundation for West Virginia teams to participate for free.
---Questions about the competition should be directed to Todd Ensign, tournament director, at tensign@fairmontstate.edu. 
Marshall's Brad D. Smith Business Incubator named HubSpot partner
---Marshall University's Brad. D. Smith Business Incubator has been approved as a HubSpot for Startups partner. The new designation means that business incubator clients will be able to access educational resources, tailored training and professional software at startup prices and an integrated platform for startups.
---HubSpot helps businesses grow by creating an ecosystem of software, education and community. The HubSpot for Startups program helps startups grow through education, techniques and the use of software at prices that make sense for new businesses looking to get off the ground floor.
---The Brad D. Smith Business Incubator is a mixed-use
incubator that serves early-stage businesses and is housed under the Marshall University Research Corporation. Tricia Ball, interim associate director, thinks the partnership is a great value and added benefit for business incubator clients.
Video event to focus on adapting your business to the new normal

--The Covid-19 Pandemic has affected businesses of all sizes. From mandated shutdowns to limited capacity and increased distances between customers, businesses have had to adjust to unanticipated changes. However, there are opportunities that have arisen from the changes society and the economy have gone through.
--RCBI is teaming up with the Ohio University's LIGHTS Innovation Center and other partners to offer an online, one-hour conversation featuring a discussion about
opportunities for businesses to thrive in the changing pandemic economy.
---The webinar takes place Wednesday, May 26, at 4 p.m.
Exporting Basics: Learn how to file
shipments through the automated system

---Shipping products around the world for the first time can feel like learning a new language. There’s all kinds of exporting jargon to figure out, dozens of agency names to remember and sometimes you need to breakthrough literal language barriers. Do I need to file an EEI with the AES? It’s no wonder new exporters get overwhelmed. 
---Exporting goods can get complicated, but it doesn’t have to be confusing. By learning the basics of properly completing a shipment, you’ll gain the knowledge you need to export with confidence. In this blog, we’ll focus on the Automated Export System and Electronic Export Information. Helpful information can be found on the West Virginia Development Office website's blog.
U P C O M I N G-- E V E N T S

May 5: WV Healthcare Supply Chain Expo, 1-3 pm. More information
May 6: SBIR/STTR Bootcamp hosted by TechConnect WV, 3 pm online. More information
May 8: Deadline to register for the May 15 REC Drone Competition. More information
May 11: Intro to Online Marketing presented by the WV SBDC. Online, 10-11 am. More information
May 18: AIM Higher DoD Supply Chain Expo, 9 am to 5 pm More information
May 26: Adapting Your Business to the New Normal webinar, 4-5 pm. More information