Workforce Management

STEP Ahead Award Winners Announced

The Manufacturing Institute has announced the recipients of the 2022 STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Awards — created to inspire manufacturers to bridge the gender gap and focus attention on the widespread impact that women have on shaping the industry.

Several of this year’s recipients are leaders at OMA member companies. More information about the program can be found here. 3/1/2022

Utilizing Diversity and Inclusion Efforts to Attract Talent

Employers navigating the workforce shortage can benefit from expanding outreach efforts to under-represented groups. OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips has published this list of six strategies for diverse and inclusive recruiting. 3/1/2022

Cobot Sales Soar Amid Labor Shortage

Sales of collaborative robots are expected to soar due to the labor shortage. According to a new report, the global cobot market — valued at $475 million in 2020 — will be worth an estimated $8 billion in 2030. This as the number of unfilled jobs in U.S. manufacturing has increased from 480,000 in January 2020 to 858,000 late last year. 3/1/2022

Lincoln Electric’s Geoff Lipnevicius Appointed New Chair of OMA’s Workforce Committee

Lincoln Electric’s Geoff Lipnevicius, senior manager of organizational effectiveness, is the new chair of the OMA’s Workforce Leadership Committee. He takes over for longtime and founding committee chair Scot McLemore, manager of talent acquisition and deployment at Honda North America.

Over the years, Lincoln Electric has been a leader in workforce development, participating in initiatives such as MAGNET’s Early College, Early Career Program. And Geoff is a product of Ohio’s earn-and-learn model, having started at Lincoln as a co-operative education intern while studying mechanical engineering at the University of Dayton. After college graduation, he joined the company full-time and worked his way up to his current executive role.

To engage in OMA workforce development strategies, email Sara Tracey. 2/24/2022

Site Selectors: Manufacturing Most Impacted by Skills Shortage

A recent survey from the Site Selectors Guild reveals 41% of Guild members believe skills shortages are the new normal. When asked which industries would be most impacted by talent shortages over the next five years, Guild members selected manufacturing (83%), followed by transportation/warehousing (68%). 2/21/2022

NW Ohio Manufacturer Solves Transportation Challenge for Students

The Northwest Ohio Manufacturing Alliance (NOMA) — an OMA-endorsed industry sector partnership (ISP) — reports that a Bowling Green manufacturer is partnering with Goodwill Industries to help local students take part in earn-and-learn opportunities.

As reported by WNWO-TV, Rosenboom Custom Crafted Cylinders enlisted the services of Goodwill’s Good Rides program to help students overcome transportation challenges, ensuring they can get to and from the facility. This example serves as a model for other manufacturers seeking transportation solutions for apprentices and interns. 2/23/2022

Experts: Employers Should Rethink Benefits, Recruiting Tactics

Employers must reimagine the workplace, rethink their employee benefits, and reconsider their recruitment strategies to stay competitive, according to experts who participated in a recent workforce discussion hosted by OMA Connections Partner RSM. Key recommendations included:

• Employers consider offering on-site day care, or be more willing to offer part-time employment options, particularly for working mothers.
• For younger workers, employers may consider expanding benefits to address student loan debt.
• Job descriptions should be concise and to the point, especially those posted electronically.

The Manufacturing Institute says more than half of respondents to a recent survey indicated a need for more flexibility in work schedules. 2/22/2022

Study: Government Aid Keeping Some Low-Income Workers Out of Workforce

In its examination of why the workforce participation rate has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland recently published this report based on its review of Census Bureau survey data. The study reports that the fastest growing reason prime-age workers were not re-entering the workforce was due to “unspecified” or “other reasons” — as opposed to lack of childcare or lack of employer demand.

Low-income households, as well as less-educated individuals, were far more likely to select “other reasons,” the study found. Moreover, Medicaid recipients significantly boosted the survey’s reporting of “other reasons” — highlighting the effect of the so-called “benefits cliffs,” in which individuals may lose government benefits when taking a job. 2/21/2022

Ohio College Offers Free Manufacturing Training

Manufacturing jobs are in such high demand that students in the Lima area can now receive no-cost CNC training at Rhodes State College. Spectrum News reports the course is comprised of 42 hours of classroom and lab training, plus 33 hours of online study. The course begins March 15. 2/15/2022

Webinar: Manufacturers Share Their TechCred Experiences

At 11 a.m. March 1, OMA Connections Partner Fastlane — the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) for west central Ohio — will host a no-cost webinar to explore Ohio’s TechCred program and its benefits for manufacturers.

The webinar will feature three manufacturing leaders who will share how TechCred has helped their businesses by upskilling employees. Register now. 2/15/2022