Workforce Management

Upcoming Workforce Webinars Focus on Innovative Solutions

On June 23, the OMA will host a webinar to help manufacturers and their workforce partners better understand Industry 4.0 trends and their impact on talent development. This 60-minute webinar will be presented by Mary Ann Pacelli, M.Ed., who oversees learning systems and competitions at NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Learn more and register.

On July 14, OMA Connections Partner CliftonLarsonAllen will host a complimentary webinar to discuss the workforce disruption and the strategies that creative manufacturers are implementing to stay productive and profitable. Register here. Attendees will learn about building a culture that attracts and retains top talent, as well as opportunities to automate or outsource. 6/7/2022

Schedule for Ohio’s Summer Manufacturing Camps

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced the start of his office’s annual summer manufacturing camps around the state. For the tenth straight year, the camps will allow Ohio businesses, educators, and community leaders to partner to help young Ohioans learn about manufacturing careers. This summer, camps are scheduled to take place in the following counties:

• Clark: June 6-10
• Coshocton: June 13-July 8 and July 11-Aug. 5
• Defiance: June 21-23 and June 27-29
• Fairfield: June 21-24; June 27-July 1; July 18-22; and July 25-29
• Lake and Geauga: June 13-17 and June 20-24
• Licking: July 11-14
• Lucas: June 13-18
• Mahoning: July 5-15
• Marion: July 25-28
• Richland: July 18-22
• Scioto: June 6-24 and July 18-Aug. 5
• Stark: June 20-23
• Summit: June 8-9 and June 20-24
• Trumbull: July 5-15
• Tuscarawas: July 19-22

Jackson County held its camp June 1-3. More camps may be added in the future, according to Brown’s office. 5/31/2022

One-on-One Guidance for MFG Day Planning

The first Friday of every October is MFG Day — one of the most important days on the manufacturer’s calendar. (This year, MFG Day is Oct. 7, but events can be planned for any day in October, which is MFG Month.)

On Wednesday, June 8, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., the Manufacturing Institute will conduct 15-minute phone calls with manufacturers that are seeking guidance for their MFG Day event. Get more information or schedule your phone call. Also, the Institute offers these MFG Day planning resources, or sign up to get on the MFG Day information list. 6/1/2022

OMA’s Sara Tracey Addresses Silicone Conference

Sara Tracey, the OMA’s managing director of workforce services, was recently a keynote speaker at the 2022 International Silicone Conference in Cuyahoga Falls. In her remarks, covered in this article, Sara challenged attendees to change the image of the typical manufacturing worker by implementing a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy to expand the pool of potential employees.

Such a strategy could entail “something as complex as reworking shift schedules to allow for more flexibility or as basic as making sure there are women’s bathroom facilities on the shop floor,” she said. 6/1/2022

Women MAKE America Mentoring Initiative Begins

The Manufacturing Institute’s Women MAKE America Mentoring Program is establishing an initiative to train more than 1,000 women mentors in manufacturing — and then connect them with younger women in the industry, as well as educational institutions.

The first mentoring program starts this month and will run through January 2023, with more than 350 women representing 120 companies. To request more information, use this email. 6/1/2022

Update on Ohio To Work: 45,000 Job Seekers Served

Last fall, Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted — together with JobsOhio — announced the expansion of the “Ohio To Work” initiative into Columbus, Toledo, Cincinnati, Dayton, and the Mahoning Valley. This move made it easier for regional organizations to partner to recruit, train, and match job seekers with employers.

Statewide, Ohio To Work has served more than 45,000 job seekers and placed 6,000 of them with participating employers in in-demand industries, including manufacturing. If you are looking for new employees, contact Ohio To Work to explore this initiative. 6/1/2022

Recruiting Veterans to Manufacturing

As Memorial Day approaches, our nation remembers the more than 1.3 million Americans in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice since the Revolutionary War. Moreover, May is Military Appreciation Month.

Ohio manufacturers continue to look for best practices to attract veterans to manufacturing careers. Successful recruiting strategies include:

• Posting openings on veterans’ job boards. (Check out this site administered by the U.S. Department of Labor to match open jobs with military occupation codes. Also, at Ohio Means Jobs, employers can identify as “military friendly.”)
• Contact a representative at the Ohio Department of Veterans Services and let them know you’re looking to hire a veteran. (Note that Gov. Mike DeWine recently launched a new resource page for service members and their families.)
• Get involved with The Manufacturing Institute’s “Heroes MAKE America” initiative. Register now for a June 6 overview of the program.
• Check out the U.S. Chamber’s “Hiring Our Heroes” events and jobs board.
• Send recruiters and hiring managers to job fairs for veterans, such as the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Career Summit on June 22.
• Utilize G.I. Bill-approved apprenticeship programs.

Employers can help veterans transition to civilian life with online resources from the U.S. Department of Defense and Ohio Means Jobs. 5/25/2022

Educators Convene to Address Instructor Shortage

Earlier this month, members of Ohio TechNet, the Ohio Engineering Technology Educators Association, and the Ohio Manufacturing Institute launched the Instructor Shortage Learning Community to address the shortage of career and technical instructors who possess both manufacturing experience and teaching qualifications.

According to a recent TechNet survey, 94% of the responding institutions indicated that they had difficulty recruiting instructors in areas such as Industry 4.0 skills, robotics and automation, and tool and die.

Manufacturers are encouraged to join the Learning Community to provide their perspective. Use this email to request more details. 5/25/2022

In the Spotlight: Mahoning Valley’s Workforce Efforts

As part of its series on labor shortages, Mahoning Matters has published this story examining Mahoning County’s manufacturing job openings. Ryan Englehardt, plant manager at OMA-member Brilex Industries, who is also vice president of the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition (an OMA-endorsed industry sector partnership), is quoted as saying the industry is facing a “generational gap” — that is, not enough younger workers to replace retirees.

Englehardt suggests manufacturers allow candidates to shadow current employees to “make sure it’s something they’re going to enjoy.”

The article also spotlights OMA-member Ultium Cells, as well as Youngstown State University’s “Skills Accelerator” program, which offers a primer on manufacturing work, and Eastern Gateway Community College’s robotics course. 5/24/2022

OMA Supports GROW Act

The OMA recently offered testimony in support of House Bill 514, which would provide additional tools for Ohio’s workforce development. The Graduating and Retaining Ohio’s Workforce Act (GROW Act) aims to keep more of Ohio’s college graduates in state, while making it easier for out-of-state students to establish residency to qualify for extra benefits.

Specifically, the bill would provide college students who take a full-time job in Ohio with a 100% refundable state income tax credit for up to three years, while boosting earn-and-learn programs by authorizing a refundable tax credit to employers for 30% of wages paid to students in their internships, apprenticeships, and co-ops.

Read the OMA’s testimony. 5/18/2022