Northwest Ohio Pilot Project Celebrates $2.9 Million Investment to Expand Manufacturing Talent Pipeline

TOLEDO, Ohio, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JobsOhio, along with the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) and the Ohio Manufacturers' Association (OMA) announced a pilot project to increase the number of workers with in-demand skills to power northwest Ohio manufacturers. 

"In Ohio, we are committed to creating job opportunities while also ensuring workers have access to in-demand skills training so they can be hired quickly," said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. "Through this collaborative effort, career technical and community colleges, along with businesses will work hand-in-hand to fill high-paying positions while improving Northwest Ohio's manufacturing competitiveness."

Manufacturing is the largest sector in Ohio's economy, providing nearly 700,000 jobs with an average pay of $63,000. The pilot program includes a sophisticated marketing campaign across a 17-county area supported by a full-time recruitment partner who will guide candidates into local manufacturing jobs or training programs.

"This first-of-its-kind pilot project enables us to generate a direct pipeline between advanced manufacturing talent and the companies that need a skilled workforce," said Lt. Governor Jon Husted, who leads the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation. "Improving access to the best and the brightest in Northwest Ohio sends a strong signal to companies in Ohio and globally that our state is the ideal location to build and create success."   

Unique to the pilot will be a full-time recruitment partner who will assist job seekers on behalf of employers and training institutions, matching them with local job opportunities in manufacturing, training opportunities at six regional education providers, and/or additional support services found through Ohio's workforce development system.

"Because the recruitment partner is a third party and doesn't work for a specific training provider or employer, they can facilitate the connections that are best for the job seeker and the northwest Ohio manufacturing industry as a whole," said Ryan Augsburger, president of the OMA.

This new financial commitment is combined with a previous JobsOhio investment of $1.5 million to pay for equipment and software for the Penta Career Center, Apollo Career Center, Vantage Career Center, Vanguard-Sentinel Career & Tech Center, Northwest State Community College, and Owens Community College. 

Students who wish to participate can do so by registering on https://makingohio.com/all

"This innovative pilot project is positioned to meet a critical demand of more than 14,000 manufacturing jobs in Northwest Ohio," said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO. "We are proud to partner with the OMA and our regional partners to deliver the level of talent needed to fill these crucial advanced manufacturing jobs." 

JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention, and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. 

SOURCE JobsOhio