Central Ohio Partnership Puts Grant Dollars to Work

The Central Ohio Manufacturing Partnership (COMP) — an OMA-endorsed industry sector partnership (ISP) — was recently awarded one of the state’s ISP grants to help develop Central Ohio’s manufacturing workforce pipeline. But long before the award was announced, COMP leadership laid the groundwork by asking its members to join action teams to steer the group’s efforts toward the grant goals. “We wanted to hit the ground running,” said Shawn Hendrix, president of COMP, and president and COO of Nissen Chemitec America Inc.

The group is now focusing on three areas of action:

1. Develop an automation training program at a local Ohio Technical Center (OTC) and then migrate the new program to other OTCs;
2. Promote Ohio Technical Center Programs to a diverse universe of job seekers and trainees; and
3. Build manufacturer membership in the sector partnership so that trainees have a direct line to potential employers.

Roughly 30 COMP members serve on the action teams and are implementing these project plans. Manufacturing team members include: Advanced Drainage Systems, Anheuser-Busch, Covestro, American Honda Motor Company, Midwest Molding, Nissen Chemitec America, and Owens Corning. More than a dozen supporting organizations and individuals — including K-12, higher education, and OTCs — also serve on the teams. 3/15/2021