Workforce Management

Workforce Roundup: In-Demand Jobs Week Is Here

This week’s workforce-related updates and resources include the following:

• The next round of TechCred opens Monday, May 2, giving employers another chance to upskill employees and be reimbursed up to $2,000 per credential. (See this OMA summary.)
• May 2-6 is In-Demand Jobs Week in Ohio. Are you taking advantage of this opportunity to recruit talent? Check out the week’s events planned across the state.
• The Ohio STEM Learning Network is seeking businesses to host two or three local K-12 educators onsite for two days between June 20 and July 31 for the Manufacturing and Engineering Externship Program (MEEP). Details here.
• A new resistance spot welding program will be offered by The Ohio State University on July 26-27. The certificate program is primarily for engineers and technicians in the automotive industry, but can also apply to those involved with steel manufacturing.

Meanwhile, the American Enterprise Institute has called for the return of the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP). The think tank says IRAPs are a more flexible alternative to registered apprenticeship programs, especially for manufacturers. 4/27/2022

Lt. Gov. Tours OMA Member Hynes Industries

Lt. Governor Jon Husted visited OMA member Hynes Industries, Inc. in Youngstown on Monday to see firsthand the success of the Ohio TechCred program, which has helped the company provide additional training to more than 40% of its workforce. (See next story for more about TechCred.) 4/21/2022

Hynes Industries, Inc. CEO Rick Organ with Lt. Gov. Jon Husted

Next TechCred Application Round Opens May 2

The next round of TechCred opens May 2, and businesses can prepare now to apply. Ohio’s TechCred Program gives employers the chance to upskill employees and be reimbursed up to $2,000 per credential when employees complete eligible technology-focused credentials.

TechCred will be open for applications on a bimonthly basis for the remainder of 2022 in May, July, September, and November. 4/18/2022

147 Stark Co. Students Participated in Plant Tours

The Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership (SCMWDP) — a group of 45 Stark County-based manufacturers whose mission is to grow the labor pool — and R.G. Drage Career Technical Center recently conducted a pilot project to showcase manufacturing opportunities to students via plant tours.

Superior Dairy, Polymer Packaging, The M. K. Morse Company, and Hendrickson conducted tours for 147 Drage students, focusing on state-of-the-art technologies.

SCMWDP intends to expand the program, hosting more schools and showcasing more manufacturers as a way for students and teachers to gain an accurate perception of manufacturing. Contact your regional industry sector partnership to learn about the initiatives and projects in your area. 4/18/2022

Opportunity to Weigh In on High School Industry-Recognized Credentials

The Ohio Department of Education and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation are seeking input from business leaders on the next round of industry-recognized credentials to be added to the list of those that qualify students for high school graduation.

You can express your opinions to help ensure that students are earning credentials that Ohio’s industries value. Please take a moment to complete this short survey. 4/20/2022

OMA Toolkit Gets National Attention

In a new editorial published by IndustryWeek, Lincoln Electric’s Geoff Lipnevicius, chair of the OMA’s Workforce Leadership Committee, discusses the evolution (and affordability) of next-generation technology in manufacturing. The editorial highlights the OMA’s Automation and Robotics Toolkit, as well as the association’s work with regional industry sector partnerships. 4/11/2022

New Incentives to Hire Career-Tech Students

There’s growing demand for high school students enrolled in Ohio’s career-technical programs. In Greene County, for example, the number of students participating in internships and pre-apprenticeships has increased by 15% (although employer requests for student workers have jumped by much more), according to reports.

A new Ohio law (Senate Bill 166), now in effect, offers financial incentives to hire and train high school students enrolled in technical programs. The new law provides a workers’ compensation discount to employers that offer work-based learning, as well as a 15% tax credit for wages paid to students who are in a career-technical education program. Learn more. 4/13/2022

OMA’s Workforce Roundup

The following are workforce-related developments and resources for OMA members:

• The Central Ohio Manufacturing Partnership (COMP) will hold its quarterly member meeting April 21.
• The Alliance for Working Together (AWT) Foundation reports that Ohio’s largest regional combat robotics competition will be held April 30 in Lake County.
• The Dayton Region Manufacturing Workforce Partnership’s website pays tribute to local leaders and volunteers who are helping grow the local talent pipeline.
• The Lorain County Manufacturing Sector Partnership recently published this handout to promote manufacturing careers to local students and career-switchers.
• The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition publishes this blog featuring insights from local manufacturers, as well as stories on area employees and workforce partners.
• In-Demand Jobs Week, set for May 2 – 6, is only two weeks away. If you haven’t already, add your In-Demand Jobs Week events to this map.
• According to a Manufacturing Institute study, 40% of respondents said they’d encourage their child or another young person to pursue a career in manufacturing — up from 27% in 2017. (See the study’s findings.)

Meanwhile, with the end of the school year approaching, now is a good time for manufacturers to explore the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) High School Internship Program, which reimburses manufacturers 50% of student wages. 4/14/2022

Disability Inclusion Can Help Fill Talent Needs

Proactive disability inclusion can help manufacturers address the talent shortage, says OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips. Neurodiverse individuals — those displaying or characterized by autistic or other neurologically atypical patterns of thought or behavior — often thrive in positions that nearly all manufacturing employers struggle to fill. Here’s Fisher Phillips’ guidance on how manufacturers can tap into this talent pool. 4/14/2022

April 27 Webinar Will Offer Strategies to Address Labor Challenges

On April 27, OMA Connections Partner Clark Schaefer Hackett will host a complimentary two-hour webinar aimed at helping manufacturers address labor challenges. This learning event will place special emphasis on next-generation technology, especially when faced with limited resources. Learn more and register. 4/5/2022