News and Analysis
Reserve October 29 for Manufacturers’ Workforce Summit
March 8, 2019
Reserve Tuesday, October 29, 2019 for the Ohio Manufacturers ‘ Workforce Summit, a statewide convening of manufacturers and their workforce partners.
- Hear about workforce best practices and initiatives underway across Ohio,
- Learn about tools and resources that support workforce development,
- Network and share!
Registration opens mid-Spring.
Sponsorship packages are now available – reserve yours! 3/6/2019
CASE STUDY: Exposing High School Juniors & Seniors to Manufacturing Careers
March 1, 2019Project Prepare, an outreach program through the Career and Technical Centers of Licking County (C-TEC), helps build the talent pipeline by introducing high school juniors and seniors to the opportunities available in manufacturing and skilled trades.
The program combines in-school presentations and company tours to help students decide if a manufacturing career is right for them. Project Prepare has expanded to nine schools and reaches more than 500 students each year. The program also targets adults who are unemployed and underemployed.
More than 20 Licking County manufacturers have signed on as Project Prepare supporters.
Read the full case study. 2/28/2019
Ohio Manufacturers’ Workforce Summit 2019 – Inviting Sponsors Now
February 15, 2019Organizations that are committed to the skill and talent development of Ohio’s manufacturing industry can show their support by sponsoring Ohio Manufacturers’ Workforce Summit 2019.
The summit – now in its third year – attracts 500 Ohio manufacturers, policymakers, K-12, community college and university leaders, economic development professionals and workforce development suppliers. It is a day of networking, learning, exchanging and building Ohio’s manufacturing talent system.
This year, the summit will be held on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Contact OMA’s Dan Noreen to discuss your sponsor options and benefits. There is a package for every budget. 2/14/2019
OMA Releases 2019 Workforce Plan
February 8, 2019To address Ohio manufacturers’ number one concern, OMA has committed to making Ohio the recognized national leader in talent development.
The change strategy is systemic, statewide change centered on industry-led sector partnerships: local or regional organizations – led by manufacturers – that include state and local partners from education, economic development and workforce organizations. The sector partners collaborate to create customer-driven alignment around their priority workforce issues.
A system of three committees guides and informs the work:
- Leadership Committee, made up of OMA board member company representatives and invited industry leaders, charged with driving the OMA workforce agenda.
- Intermediary Committee, which includes a representative from each manufacturing sector partnership in Ohio.
- State Agency Committee, which includes representatives from the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE), Ohio Department of Education (ODE), Ohio Department of Veterans Services, Ohio Development Services Agency, and the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) and JobsOhio.
The committees organize work in four major areas:
- Leadership / Sector Partnership Capacity Building: Through technical assistance and best practices sharing, increase industry champions’ and partnerships’ abilities to drive systems change
- Policy Development: Amplify the voice of manufacturers with lawmakers and public officials
- Marketing and Communication: Leverage the Making Ohio brand to elevate awareness and interest in manufacturing careers
- Education Innovation: Increase public/private collaborations that train and educate the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow
The new 2019 Workforce Roadmap: Priorities for Systems Change in Workforce Development details specific initiatives underway. Page 10 highlights some simple ways you can get involved. 2/1/2019
Where are Ohio’s Manufacturing Industry Sector Partnerships?
January 25, 2019Industry sector partnerships are widely recognized as a proven strategy for meeting the employment and skill needs of workers and employers.
A growing number of manufacturers in Ohio have implemented industry-led regional sector partnerships to address workforce development challenges, not the least of which is a widening skill gap resulting in a shortage of qualified candidates.
Sector partnerships create customer-driven alignment across what otherwise would be disparate initiatives and include state and local partners from education, economic development, workforce and industry.
This new Industry Sector Partnership Directory catalogs 11 Ohio partnerships and the counties which they serve.
The directory is based on responses to a survey sent in late 2018 to sector partnership ‘intermediaries.’ New and emerging partnerships will be updated during the next survey cycle. For more information, please contact Sara Tracey. 1/22/2019
Help Evaluate Industry Credentials for High School Students
January 25, 2019In Ohio, students have the option to graduate high school by earning industry-recognized credentials, certifications, or licenses that are valuable to businesses in lieu of passing state tests. The list of credentials students can earn is built and maintained by the Ohio Department of Education (DOE) and is updated annually.
You can help students prepare for careers in your industry by reviewing credential applications to be potentially added to the list.
The DOE is looking for volunteers to attend one half-day session in Columbus on February 27 or 28 as part of a group of professionals from their industry to make recommendations on which credentials have value and should be added to the list.
If you are interested in participating in a half-day review of Industry Recognized Credential applications, please fill out this brief survey (it takes less than one minute to complete). The DOE will reach out to you in the near future with details.
Here is more information about industry-recognized credentials. For specific questions about the application and review process, please email DOE. 1/23/2019
Use These Research Findings in Your Recruitment Efforts (webinar)
January 18, 2019During this webinar we will share the key findings and implications of a multi-phase research assignment commissioned by the OMA and executed by the Fahlgren Mortine agency.
The objective of the research was to identify opportunities to build a workforce pipeline for the next generation of Ohio manufacturers.
The research explores workforce candidates’ attitudes, beliefs, and preferences about the manufacturing industry to generate interest and exploration of the modern-day manufacturing workplace.
Learn more and register here. 1/16/2019
Lt. Gov.-elect Jon Husted to Lead State’s Workforce Development Efforts
January 11, 2019This week Governor-elect Mike DeWine named his running mate and Lt. Governor-elect Jon Husted to serve as head of InnovateOhio.
The mission of the newly-created InnovateOhio is “to look at state government from the point of view of consumers in order to create efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve the interactions Ohioans have with state services.”
According to the administration’s news release: “As part of his portfolio, the Lt. Governor will also take a leadership role in the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, which coordinates the workforce development efforts of 16 cabinet offices. He will also work closely with the Directors of the Departments of Administrative Services, Development Services, and Higher Education on issues impacting workforce development and economic development.”
OMA looks forward to working with Lt. Gov. Husted on promoting and growing Ohio’s manufacturing careers. 1/10/2019
Apply for the Ohio Export Internship Program – Deadline is Feb. 1
January 11, 2019The Ohio Export Internship Program, a partnership between the Ohio Development Services Agency, Cleveland State University, The Ohio State University, and Youngstown State University will match college students throughout the state who have taken export-focused coursework to Ohio companies looking to pursue export opportunities.
Half of the intern wages will be reimbursed, up to $3,600. The summer internship will run from May 13 through August 9, 2019.
Final deadline to apply is February 1, 2019. More here. 1/2/2018