The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) member Bitdeer Technologies Group is investing $125,000 in Stark State College to help develop northeast Ohio’s next generation of skilled workers. The scholarship endowment will fund four annual awards for students pursuing careers in electrical maintenance, industrial technology, automation, robotics and other technology-related fields.

The partnership also includes the new Bitdeer Connectivity & Compute Lab at Stark State’s W.R. Timken Center for Technology, giving students hands-on training in emerging technologies. Bitdeer, which operates a facility in Massillon, will also help the college align instruction with the technical skills employers are hiring for today.

“Bitdeer isn’t waiting around hoping the workers it needs will show up,” said Lindsey Short, OMA managing director of advocacy and energy services. “It’s investing in the people who will keep its operations running and Ohio’s technology economy growing. That’s the kind of partnership we need more of.”

Four students have already received scholarships through the program, marking the first step in a long-term investment that will help Stark County students build careers while strengthening the region’s pipeline of skilled technical workers. 11/11/2026