The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association recently hosted Working with Youth in Manufacturing, a webinar focused on helping manufacturers better understand how to safely and appropriately engage students under the age of 18 in meaningful work-based learning experiences.

The session opened with a legal and compliance overview from Kevin Shimp of Dickinson Wright, who helped ground the conversation in key considerations for manufacturers exploring youth employment and student work-based learning. From there, participants heard how education and employer partnerships are putting this work into practice, including examples from Great Oaks Career Campuses with Palmer Trucks/Kenworth and Raymond Storage Concepts, as well as Upper Valley Career Center with Airstream.

Together, the discussion highlighted the importance of clear expectations, strong communication, proper documentation, and close coordination between manufacturers and education partners. Manufacturers interested in learning more can watch the webinar recording or connect with their Industry Sector Partnership to explore youth engagement opportunities in their area. 9/10/2026