The Callaway Bank donates $25,000 to Ranken Technical College Project

The Callaway Bank is offering free notary services for mail-in and absentee ballots during the general election this year.
The Callaway Bank is offering free notary services for mail-in and absentee ballots during the general election this year.

The Callaway Bank recently committed $25,000 to support the Ranken Technical College Project in Boone County.

"We fully support the overall goal of preparing people with necessary skills to be successful," said President and CEO Kim Barnes at the check presentation in Ashland. "As an independent community leader, it is crucial that we do our part to bring such opportunities to the central Missouri area."

The facility, once completed, will spur job creation and attract private investment to southern Boone County, as the school will graduate more than 140 job-ready individuals each year.

Ranken is a private technical college based in St. Louis. It offers programs in five main divisions: automotive, electrical, construction, information technology and manufacturing. The school has approximately 2,300 students.

According to Investing in Tomorrow's Workforce Capital Campaign, more than half of the region's high school graduates do not advance into college or earn bachelor's degrees in non- technical fields.

The career training Ranken provides will help a large portion of area youth have a successful career while enhancing the area's economic viability, The Callaway Bank said.

Southern Boone Superintendent Chris Felmlee said he is proud of the progress made by officials in the county who have done so much to bring federal dollars to the schools.

CORRECTION: This article was edited at 2:38 p.m. Oct. 27, 2021, to correct an error in the bank name in the second to last paragraph.