Workforce Management

Four Keys to Building a More Resilient Workforce

The pandemic has made it clear. Resilient businesses are composed of resilient employees — teams and individuals who can cope with adversity and quickly adapt to challenges. In this article, OMA Connections Partner Crowe discusses the four keys to building a more resilient workforce: employee communication, culture, capabilities, and change management. 3/22/2021

In-Demand Jobs Week to Be Held Virtually, May 3-7

Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs Week is set for May 3-7. This statewide recognition of high-demand careers provides a great opportunity for manufacturers to inform students, parents, and teachers about fulfilling careers in modern manufacturing.

Manufacturers are invited to start planning virtual events and activities now. Add your In-Demand Jobs Week event to this interactive map using this email address. (Include the event name, date and time, and a short description.) 3/23/2021

In the Spotlight: Ohio Manufacturers’ Innovative Approach to Workforce Development

Sara Tracey, managing director for the OMA’s workforce services, sat down this week with Spectrum News to discuss how the association is helping manufacturers attract and train workers.

In this six-minute interview, which aired on “In Focus” — Spectrum’s public affairs program — Sara told host Mike Kallmeyer how the OMA and its partners are creating programs and initiatives to “develop a pipeline of students, job seekers, and trainees who are ready to come to work with the skills manufacturers are looking for.” She noted that TechCred (see related story) has been a “game changer” in the effort to enhance Ohio’s skilled labor pool.

Any manufacturer interested in learning more about the OMA’s workforce services can email Sara. 3/18/2021

Webinar: Industry Sector Partnerships 101

On Thursday, March 25, the OMA will host a 10 a.m. webinar to cover the basics of Industry Sector Partnerships (ISPs), which are transforming how the Buckeye State attracts and develops manufacturing workers. (Here’s a directory of Ohio’s ISPs.)

The OMA encourages all its members to join the webinar to learn about this essential workforce development strategy and gain insights from seasoned sector partnership leaders. Learn more and register. 3/15/2021

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

New Round of TechCred Could Boost Your Apprenticeship Program

A new round is about to begin for Ohio TechCred, the popular program that reimburses employers that upskill employees who earn technology-focused credentials. The next TechCred application period will open April 1 and close April 30 at 3 p.m. (See the OMA’s two-pager for more details.)

Earlier this month, we celebrated the success of the Alliance for Working Together (AWT) — an OMA-endorsed industry sector partnership. AWT’s registered apprenticeship program uses TechCred to make its apprenticeship program available to employers for no cost. Check out this case study on AWT’s apprenticeship program, then see this step-by-step guide on how to submit a TechCred application to make your apprenticeship program eligible, too. For questions, contact Sara Tracey. 3/18/2021

Ohio a Leader in Career & Tech Education Investments

Ohio is among the long list of states that have boosted funding for career and technical education (CTE) during COVID-19, according to this report by the Association for Career and Technical Education. But Ohio was one of only 12 states to enact policies that address engaging industry to drive student learning through work-based learning, and one of just eight states to enact policies on industry-recognized credentials. 3/16/2021

MAGNET Website Connects Workers With Career Coaches

Last spring, MAGNET — an OMA Connections Partner and Northeast Ohio’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) — teamed up with OhioMeansJobs Cleveland/Cuyahoga County to make more job seekers aware of manufacturing opportunities in the area. Helping workers who had been dislocated from their jobs due to the pandemic was at the forefront of this effort.

Because career coaches needed content to put in front of job seekers, MAGNET hired a local marketing partner to build a simple website called Discover Manufacturing. The site features several videos that showcase modern manufacturing and its many opportunities — while helping users get in touch with a coach to guide them towards the right training and placement path.

To date, the website has attracted more than 2,100 visitors, and more than 125 individuals have filled out the form to connect to coaches, according to Adam Snyder, managing director for MAGNET’s industry sector partnership, Workforce Connect. 3/8/2021

Earn-and-Learn Offers Benefits to Manufacturers, Workers

There’s no silver bullet to fix the manufacturing workforce shortage, but earn-and-learn solutions, like apprenticeships, have delivered measurable results for manufacturers, including accelerated learning and improved retention.

OMA members are encouraged to launch (or participate in) earn-and-learn programs to close the skills gap. Ohio’s network of industry sector partnerships and the Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership – a collaboration of the OMA and Ohio TechNet – can help employers do the following:

• Define needed skills and identify opportunities to collaborate;
• Find a provider for technical instruction; and
• Shape structured on-the-job training and mentorship.

Check out this tool for more information on why to invest in earn-and-learn strategies and how the OMA can help. 3/10/2021

OhioMeansJobs.com Gets Overhaul

OhioMeansJobs.com — the state-administered website that allows employers to post job openings for free — has been redesigned. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who heads the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, says the website is now easier to navigate. At last check, there were more than 156,000 job openings statewide, with 84,000 that pay more than $50,000 a year. 3/9/2021