For 25 years Tony Oran has worked at the convergence of manufacturing and education. He is dedicated to finding ways to bring employers together with leaders in career and technical education (CTE) to co-develop real-time solutions to issues around manufacturing technologies and the skills gap.
Currently Tony is Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Festo Didactic, North America, a leading provider of advanced solutions for technical and industrial education. In this role, he is responsible for forging strong relationships with colleges and universities in the United States. Tony helps leaders in higher education understand the changing nature of the manufacturing industry, including the skills needed for the jobs of the future and advancements brought by Industry 4.0-related technology. He also works with educators in CTE to create new ways to approach hands-on learning.
Tony has been a driving force in developing Festo’s Industry 4.0 Certification (FI4.0CP) Train the Trainer program, a comprehensive certification program that prepares students for high-tech careers. The program was developed in collaboration with educators to provide holistic training for manufacturing jobs tied to Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things. FI4.0CP ensures students have qualifying skills upon graduation, including soft skills such as effective communication, managing others and critical thinking.
Tony’s dedication to finding effective training programs that augment traditional learning paths extends to the expansion of Festo’s award-winning apprenticeship program in Mason, Ohio, bringing higher education and industry together to prepare students for new careers, like mechatronics. Apprenticeships offer a mix of classroom instruction, hands-on learning, and on-the-job training that is especially valuable in a rapidly changing industrial community where specific skill sets are required.
Prior to his current role at Festo, Tony was the company’s Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast Region, Learning Systems National Manager, and Didactic General Manager. Before joining Festo, he established his career in the asset management and industrial distribution industries.
