Workforce Management

Report: Surge in Industrial Robots Installations

The International Federation of Robotics reports that 517,000 industrial robots were put in place worldwide during 2021 — a 31% increase from 2020, and the highest percentage jump in history.

In the U.S., the automotive sector installed 9,782 industrial robots during 2021, accounting for 64% of all the installations, followed by metal/machinery manufacturing businesses with 3,814 new units. 10/18/2022

Is Mandatory Math Hindering the Manufacturing Workforce?

In an interesting take on the modern education system, Temple Grandin, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, says students need more exposure to the way everyday things work and are made — and “nowhere is this more obvious than in the teaching of math.”

In an article published by The Atlantic, Grandin asserts that the current approach to teaching high school math — which typically includes two years of algebra — “relies entirely on abstraction and provides nothing to visualize.” Experts quoted in the article say mandatory math classes may be preventing the development of talent for in-demand jobs — including skilled tradespeople, inventors, and mechanical engineers. 10/18/2022

Ohio’s Elected Leaders Hit the Road on MFG Day

Gov. Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine crisscrossed the state on October 7, MFG Day, visiting with and touring a number of Ohio manufacturers from Ironton to Mansfield.

The governor visited and toured:

• Pentaflex Inc., Springfield
• AmSty Hanging Rock Plant, Ironton
• P.R. Machine Works, Mansfield

Lt. Governor Jon Husted headed north to tour Coexcell Inc. in Maumee.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Frank LaRose toured Crown Equipment Corp. in New Bremen.

OMA senior staff members joined the elected officials and snapped some photos; click here to see some of them! 10/10/2022

Gov. DeWine and First Lady Fran celebrate MFG Day with the team at Pentaflex Inc. in Springfield.

MFG Day/Month Events Held Across the State

Here’s a look at just a few of the MFG Day/Month events held so far this month showcasing manufacturing careers to Ohio’s young people:

• The Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership, an OMA-endorsed industry sector partnership, helped coordinate student tours on October 6 at area manufacturing sites. Students from seven area high schools got a first-hand look at career opportunities in manufacturing.
• The Lake County Chambers and the OMA-endorsed Alliance for Working Together (AWT) hosted their 9th Annual Lake County Think Manufacturing Summit on October 6th at Willoughby South High School to further develop relationships between the county schools and manufacturers.
  • The AWT also celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new AWT Transformation Center in Mentor. The center will provide training and pathways for Northeast Ohio’s skilled manufacturing labor force.
• Noble Tool Corp. in Dayton hosted Liberty High School for MFG Day tours. Shawn Bromagen, business development, posted: The knowledge these students had about manufacturing before walking into our facility was amazing. … The future of manufacturing is bright with these students.

A MFG Day event at the Excellence Training Center at Youngstown State University brought together students and a wide range of manufacturers including Humtown Products, Ajax Tocco Magnethermic Corp., Brilex Group of Companies, Butech Bliss, City Machine Technologies, Foxconn EV Systems, Novelis, NLMK, Trivium Packaging, Ultium Cells, and Vallourec.

Manufacturing Talent Attraction Campaign Launched In Northwest Ohio

Led by JobsOhio, the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, and the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP), an innovative pilot marketing campaign has launched to attract the manufacturing workforce for Northwest Ohio.

The pilot project is designed to fill immediate job openings, increase enrollment in area training programs that align with industry demand, and provide access to career development and social services that help remove barriers to employment.

The campaign coordinates the efforts of six regional training institutions, an array of community partners, and 25 employers over a 17-county region to fill the 14,000+ open manufacturing jobs in Northwest Ohio.

The campaign will run for about a year. 10/5/2022

CTEC of Licking Co. Offers New Automation, Robotics Training Program

A new automation and robotics training program at Career and Technology Education Centers or C-TEC of Licking County was recently spotlighted by Spectrum News. The program was developed in collaboration with Central Ohio Manufacturers Partnership, an OMA-endorsed industry sector partnership.

The CTEC program is one year and 600 hours in automation and robotics training. Ten enrollees received full scholarships in the first class of students.

COMP plans to expand the program to other technical centers in the future. 10/5/2022

Virtual Event: Learn About Ohio Pre-Apprenticeships

Pre-apprenticeship programs teach basic technical and job-readiness skills to help prepare participants for formal apprenticeship programs. If you’re interested in learning about Ohio pre-apprenticeships, ApprenticeshipOhio is hosting a virtual info session on Wednesday, October 19, 9-10 a.m. Contact Apprenticeship Service Provider Darryl Gaither. 10/12/2022

MFG Day: OMA Leaders Promote Manufacturing Careers

MFG Day is here! And OMA leaders are doing their part to spread the news about manufacturing careers.

In an editorial published by the Plain Dealer, Geoff Lipnevicius, Lincoln Electric’s senior manager for workforce development — and chair of the OMA’s Workforce Leadership Committee — highlights areas of focus to ensure a strong manufacturing talent pipeline.

In another editorial, this one in the Akron Beacon Journal, OMA President Ryan Augsburger lists key reasons manufacturing careers are among the best in the nation.10/7/2022

Manufacturers Utilizing In-House Training Can Earn $400 Per Employee

The Ohio Workforce Partnership (OMWP) — a collaboration of Ohio TechNet and the OMA — recognizes that company-led, on-the-job learning is often as high-quality as traditional apprenticeships. Now there’s a way to be compensated for your in-house earn-and-learn programs.

Through funds provided to OMWP by the U.S. Department of Labor’s scaling apprenticeship grant, Ohio manufacturers can earn $400 per trainee. This first-come, first-served opportunity could fund up to 1,930 individuals — and can be combined with programs like TechCred to offset the cost of tuition, credentials, assessments, and other training-related expenses.

Click here for more information on how to apply, or email the OMA with questions. 10/5/2022

Wanted: Manufacturer Feedback on Credentials

Ohio education officials and the DeWine-Husted administration want feedback from manufacturers to ensure high school students are earning industry-recognized credentials that are valued by employers. Help policymakers determine which credentials are most valuable by completing this short survey. For questions, email the Ohio Department of Education. 10/4/2022