Workforce Management

Sen. Brown Hosts Online Manufacturing Camps

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is again partnering with Ohio businesses, educators and community leaders for the eighth straight year to host summer manufacturing camps to help young Ohioans learn about manufacturing careers.

Due to COVID-19, this year’s manufacturing camps will be held online so students can learn about manufacturing safely. Four virtual camps will be held in Knox, Richland and Mahoning counties. 7/15/2020

National Campaign Urges Job Seekers to ‘Find Something New’

This week, presidential adviser Ivanka Trump unveiled a White House-backed national ad campaign highlighting alternative ways to start a career. The “Find Something New” initiative targets students, mid-career workers, and the millions of Americans who are currently unemployed because of COVID-19. The administration has long emphasized skills-based job and vocational training as an alternative to four-year degrees and student loan debt.

The “Find Something New” campaign spotlights certification programs, apprenticeships, and vocational, technical and trades education. 7/15/2020

FAME Mentor Webinar: Lessons From Louisiana

On Wednesday, July 22, at 3 p.m. (ET), The Manufacturing Institute will host a free mentor webinar entitled “FAME Mentor Webinar: Lessons from Louisiana.” The Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education is well known for training students who seek careers in manufacturing. This webinar is free and open to anyone and is applicable to employers that want to recruit more manufacturing talent.

For more insight, here’s an article published by the National Association of Manufacturers spotlighting a Southern Indiana FAME graduate. 7/14/2020

Ohio’s Initial Jobless Claims Increased Last Week

Ohioans filed 35,422 initial claims for unemployment compensation last week, according to a report by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. That was an increase from the previous week’s total of 33,483. Ohioans filed 429,638 continued claims last week — down 346,664 from the peak earlier this year. Ohio has sent more than $5.2 billion in unemployment payments to more than 747,000 individuals over the past 17 weeks.

To help visualize Ohio’s jobless rate over the past four decades, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has published this graph. 7/16/2020

Manufacturing Mentorship Program Clears Final State Hurdle

This week the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) approved the rule filing for Ohio’s new Manufacturing Mentorship Program (4101:9-2-02.1 and 4101:9-2-02.2). The program was an OMA priority in the last state budget bill.

The program will allow young people, 16 and 17-years old, to work in an Ohio manufacturing operation through part-time employment. The aim is to educate young people about interesting and fulfilling careers in manufacturing, while strengthening the workforce development pipeline for manufacturers.

Previously young people could only work in traditional manufacturing settings if they were part of a “bona fide educational program.”

The rules approved by JCARR list the tools that program participants are permitted to use in a manufacturing setting.

By clearing the JCARR hurdle the program can go into effect as early as August 20. 7/8/2020

Richland Co. Holding (Virtual) Manufacturing Summer Camp for Youth in 5th-8th Grades

Students will learn about STEM, safety, financial literacy, and amazing manufacturers as well as local secondary and post-secondary education opportunities and career pathway opportunities. More here. 7/6/2020

MFG Day 2020 Has New Look, New Home (on the Web)

As always, MFG Day will be the first Friday in October — Oct. 2 this year — with events continuing throughout the month. MFG Day helps showcase modern manufacturing careers by encouraging companies and educational institutions to open their doors to students, parents, teachers, and community leaders. MFG Day is an initiative of The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education arm of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

This year, MFG Day has a new look, a new logo, and a new home on the web at creatorswanted.org. Creators Wanted is the NAM’s umbrella brand for youth engagement in manufacturing careers.

On the site, you’ll find a pre-recorded MFG Day 2020 kickoff webinar that highlights how manufacturers can hold virtual and other socially distanced events, as well as register their events. There is also a “Get Started Toolkit” with downloadable logos and images.

Last year, Ohio was a leader in the number of MFG Day events. It’s not too soon to start planning your 2020 event! 6/29/2020

AWT Apprenticeship Program Aims to Boost Manufacturing Talent

It was reported this week that the Alliance for Working Together (AWT) — the OMA-endorsed sector partnership for Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake counties — has announced the AWT Apprenticeship Program, which seeks to strengthen Ohio’s manufacturing workforce.

By supporting both a pre-apprenticeship model and traditional apprenticeship model, the AWT program will offer “a reliable pipeline of skilled workers, customized training that meets industry standards, and increased knowledge transfer through on-the-job learning.” Read more here. 6/29/2020

JobsOhio Chief: Recovery is Moving in the Right Direction

In his remarks to workforce leaders, JobsOhio President and Chief Investment Officer J.P. Nauseef this week said Ohio’s recovery is showing progress, despite the COVID-related damage inflicted this spring. Nauseef told the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board that May’s unemployment rate dropped to 13.7% compared to April’s 17.6%.

He also spotlighted several recently announced economic development projects, including that of OMA member Cerelia, a producer of ready-made doughs and baked goods. Cerelia will expand its facility in Whitehall, investing more than $2 million and creating 40 new food production jobs, according to reports. 7/1/2020

MakingOhio.com Features Interactive Career Pathways

The Making Ohio initiative and MakingOhio.com were established to spotlight the many exciting, well-paying careers in modern manufacturing. To help students, young workers, and career-switchers visualize manufacturing’s opportunities for growth and advancement, MakingOhio.com now features an interactive career pathways section that shows how to move from entry-level to more advanced careers by building skills and qualifications.

For now, the pathways are focused on the high-demand fields of industrial maintenance, machining, and welding. Additional pathways are planned for the future.

Take a minute to visit the career pathways section at MakingOhio.com. Then share these interactive tools with employees, students, educators, and others so they are aware of how ongoing training can lead to career advancement. 6/30/2020