Workforce Management

At a Glance: Ohio’s Career-Tech Education

More than 127,000 high school students pursued a career-technical education (CTE) at Ohio’s career centers during the 2021-22 school year. That number has held mostly steady over the past four years, according to this data from the U.S. Department of Education, which breaks down CTE participation by gender and education level.

In 2020-21, 56.2% of Ohio’s secondary CTE students were male; 43.8% were female.

The Manufacturing Institute recently published this report on the role of CTE in attracting talent to manufacturing careers. 3/2/2023

New Website Spotlights Manufacturing Careers

The National Association of Manufacturers and Manufacturing Institute have launched Creators Connect, a new digital platform to help students, parents, career influencers, and job seekers explore career pathways in modern manufacturing.

This new resource is a national version of MakingOhio.com, established in 2018 by the OMA and its partners to spotlight the manufacturing opportunities in the Buckeye State. 2/27/2023

OMA Spotlights Workforce Development Opportunities

In a Feb. 20 editorial published by Crain’s Cleveland Business (subscription), OMA President Ryan Augsburger writes that Ohio must continue to advance its workforce initiatives in the next state budget.

The DeWine-Husted administration’s budget contains $684.4 billion (over two fiscal years) for workforce development programs that would benefit manufacturers. This is a historic level of financial support.

In its latest edition of “Retooling Ohio,” the OMA breaks down the key workforce-related provisions in the administration’s budget. Read it here. 2/23/2023

OMA Participates in Manufacturing Camp Summit

To open young minds to manufacturing, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and his staff have for the past decade helped launch and promote summer manufacturing camps for students in more than 20 counties.

This week, OMA staff participated in Sen. Brown’s summit to share best practices with those interested in hosting a camp for the first time. If your business or community is interesting in hosting a manufacturing camp, email Sen. Brown’s office. 2/23/2023

Next Application Round for TechCred Begins March 1

The 19th round of Ohio’s TechCred program runs from March 1 to 3 p.m. March 31. Employers are eligible for up to $30,000 per round (and $180,000 a year) to upskill their employees.

Since the start of TechCred, 2,173 Ohio employers have been approved for funding. Manufacturers have accounted for roughly half of approved applications. OMA Connections Partner HBK has published manufacturing-specific insight on TechCred. 2/23/2023

Webinar: Boost Your Workforce With Online Training

FastLane — an OMA Connections Partner and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) for west central Ohio — will host a March 7 webinar to examine different ways manufacturers are leveraging online learning to develop their incumbent workforce. Register here. 2/23/2023

Official Briefs OMA on Gov. DeWine’s Workforce Study

Eric Leach, deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, this week addressed the OMA’s Workforce Leadership Committee to discuss Gov. Mike DeWine’s recent executive order to assess Ohio’s critical educational and training needs to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

DeWine’s order requires the Department of Higher Education to conduct a thorough study of programs, institutions, and instructional capabilities related to career fields and occupations critical to Ohio’s economy — including manufacturing. Leach provided insight into how the study will impact funding allocations under the proposed WorkFORCE Ohio program, which is part of the governor’s budget.

To learn more about the govenor’s study and how you can engage on behalf of manufacturers, email the OMA’s Sara Tracey. 2/16/2023

Senate Set to Tweak Education Overhaul Bill

Some changes are planned to a bill that would overhaul the Ohio Department of Education by placing more emphasis on career-technical education, while providing a more coordinated approach to workforce development policy.

Supported by the OMA, Senate Bill 1 would establish the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, which would have two divisions — one for traditional K-12 and one for career-technical education and workforce training. Senate leadership has made SB 1 a priority this year.

As reported by Gongwer News Service, the Senate Education Committee plans to amend SB 1 with additional requirements for the new agency’s deputy directors and to increase opportunities for public input, among other things. 2/16/2023

In-Demand Jobs Week 2023 Set for May 1-5

The DeWine-Husted administration has announced that Ohio’s annual In-Demand Jobs Week will be May 1-5. This brings another opportunity for manufacturers to connect with students and job seekers.

To add your company’s event to the official In-Demand Jobs Week map, visit this site — or email the name, date, and time of your event, as well as a short description, to the Department of Job and Family Services. 2/13/2023

Tom Capps-Harshaw Joins OMA Staff

Tom Capps-Harshaw is the newest member of the OMA staff, hired as the association’s director of workforce communications.

A Cincinnati native, Tom moved to Columbus in 2012. Before joining the OMA, Tom worked for a decade at Columbus State Community College where he was the senior project manager of workforce partnerships and programs. Prior to that, he spent six years in Dayton at PNC Bank as a branch manager.

Tom is a graduate of The Ohio State University and is pursuing his graduate degree at Franklin University. In addition to music, world travel, and history, Tom is passionate about utilizing data, technology and innovation to grow educational and career opportunity awareness, especially for under-represented populations. He looks forward to growing the impact of the OMA’s workforce communications.

Email Tom to say hello. 2/6/2023