Workforce Management

Demographics: The Biggest Workforce Hurdle?

Bloomberg has published this in-depth look at the U.S. skilled labor shortage with a story told from Ohio. The article spotlights Intel’s project in Licking County.

According to Bloomberg, America’s demographics “are conspiring against its economic ambitions” as the working-age population shrank in 2018 for the first time since at least 1960.

Some experts are calling for a national human resources strategy — one that could include an overhaul of immigration policy or raising retirement age. 3/13/2023

OMA Workforce Chair Highlights Budget Opportunities

In a March 5 editorial published at Cleveland.com and in The Plain Dealer, OMA Workforce Leadership Committee Chair Geoff Lipnevicius makes his case for the workforce investments proposed in Gov. Mike DeWine’s fiscal 2024-25 budget.

Lipnevicius, the senior manager of organizational effectiveness at Lincoln Electric, detailed the DeWine-Husted budget’s historic $684.4 million workforce allocation. Read the full editorial. 3/6/2023

OMA Works With ISPs to Advocate for Workforce Investments

Over the past few weeks, OMA staff has provided key information to OMA-endorsed Industry Sector Partnerships regarding the workforce-related provisions in Gov. Mike DeWine’s state budget plan.

OMA Workforce Services provided ISPs with this advocacy toolkit so manufacturers can effectively advocate for the investments in the governor’s budget. All OMA members are encouraged to contact their state representative and senator in support of the workforce provisions. 3/8/2023

Ohio to Work Surpasses Goals

Ohio To Work, the statewide effort to grow Ohio’s talent pool, has exceeded expectations, according to reports. Gov. Mike DeWine and JobsOhio recently reported the following results:

• 211,365 job seekers served (352% of goal);
• 19,192 job seekers enrolled in reskilling (383% of goal); and
• 26,114 job seekers placed (186% of goal).

Manufacturing is a key focus of this initiative. Check out JobsOhio’s report. Employers can click here for information on how to participate. 3/7/2023

35×30 Campaign Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

The Manufacturing Institute is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its 35×30 campaign, which aims to grow the percentage of women in manufacturing from 29% to 35% by 2030. To learn more, email the Institute’s Sarah Shields.

In related news, the Institute recently announced its 2023 Women MAKE Award honorees and emerging leaders — several of whom are with OMA member companies. 3/9/2023

Ohio Senate Passes K-12 Education Redesign Bill

On a 26-7 vote, the Ohio Senate has approved Senate Bill 1, an OMA-supported bill to place more focus on career-technical education and workforce training.

Specifically, SB 1 would establish the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, which would have two divisions — one overseeing traditional K-12, and one overseeing career-technical education. The department would be directly accountable to the governor, as opposed to the State Board of Education. See this summary for details.

The bill now moves to the House for its consideration.

Meanwhile, the Legislative Service Commission has published this infographic to illustrate Ohio’s K-12 spending trends. 3/1/2023

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