There have been reports that “manufacturing is dead” in the U.S. and that most of the good manufacturing jobs have gone overseas. The truth is of course, quite the opposite of what some folks are reporting. A group of professionals in west central Ohio has come together to form the West Central Ohio Workforce Development Initiative (WCOWDI) in an effort to connect local workers with good paying, skilled trades jobs available here in Mercer and Auglaize Counties. The WCOWDI has been meeting regularly since late last summer and includes people from the following organizations: Wright State University Lake Campus, Rhodes State, Apollo Career Center, the West Central Ohio Manufacturing Consortium, Upper Valley Career Center, Tri Star Career Compact, Mercer County Economic Development Office and the Southwestern Auglaize County Chamber of Commerce. The group is led by Village of New Bremen Economic Development Director Angela Hamberg.
The WCOWDI has assembled two skilled trades training programs, one for CNC operators and one for welders. These programs take 10 weeks to complete, providing students the skills they need to be qualified for jobs with local manufacturers. “As a result of the open house we held at Tri-Star in St Marys in November, we have 4 candidates enrolled in CNC training at Rhodes State College in Lima,” said Hamberg. “We also have two welding candidates awaiting placement in one of our welding training programs.” The WCOWDI group has developed the training programs, and will pre-screen candidates and provide drug testing prior to the training. Based on the results of the pre-screening requirements, candidates may be eligible for a scholarship or sponsorship. Once the candidates successfully complete the training, they will be able to interview with local manufacturers for available positions.
“We have had a very positive response from our local manufacturers so far,” said Hamberg. “Several companies and organizations have stepped up to provide scholarship dollars to help with the cost of the training. They have also provided us with the basic qualifications they will be seeking in new hires within their companies.” The WCOWDI is presently working to market the training to potential candidates in west central Ohio with two important ideas. “First of all, people need to realize that there are good paying, stable job available in manufacturing here locally,” said Scott Frey, Southwestern Auglaize County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. “Parents and students need to consider the opportunities available in skilled trades today. Manufacturing jobs pay well, are much safer and can lead to higher earning opportunities than ever before. This workforce development effort is so important locally that we’ve asked Angela (Hamberg) to address the Chamber of Commerce at our annual meeting later this month.”
Julie Miller, Development Officer with the Western Ohio Education Foundation and MBA Program Director at WSU Lake Campus noted that “today’s worker needs to be constantly upgrading skills to meet the changing advanced manufacturing environment. In addition to CNC and welding, there is strong employer demand for mastery in automation, PLC's, robotics and more,” said Miller. “Students pursuing a manufacturing pathway in technical education can also stack these skills to earn credit if desired.”
For more information about local workforce development, and assistance with skilled training, contact Angela Hamberg at (419) 629-2447.
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