Newark works to draw kids to manufacturing

Forty-six students from Licking Valley and Heath high schools had a preconceived idea of what factory work in Licking County would be like: minimum wage, dirty, unskilled jobs.

But a new program called Project Prepare allowed them to tour three local manufacturers: Owens Corning, Thirty-One Gifts and The Dow Chemical Company. After that, three-fourths of them left with a more favorable impression and a third wanted more information about careers in skilled trades.

"These jobs are not what people originally thought they were. Manufacturing is important, interesting and has nice pay," said Cheri Hottinger, president and CEO of the Licking County Chamber of Commerce.

The program was born out of concern about the projected gap between what skills employers are looking for and what skills candidates have in manufacturing and skilled trades, two key parts of the Licking County economy. But rather than just talk about the problem, local leaders started to tackle it.

"We became aware of the staggering number of job openings and the real need for workers in the skilled trades. So, we enthusiastically participated," Licking Valley High School principal Wes Weaver said.

Across Ohio, communities are working to connect employers with skilled employees by identifying where candidates' skills are lacking, building relationships between employers and schools, creating niche programs and inspiring children to look at local industries when selecting a career.

The Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation creates regular reports on in-demand jobs, provides career advice through one-stop centers in each county and creates incentives for businesses that work with educational institutions. Last year, six pilot programs received grants to place more than 75 percent of the 500 trainees into jobs by the end of the programs, which range from training health care workers in Appalachian Ohio to insurance workers in central Ohio.

In Ross County, an area business invested in the hospital's education of nurses to stem the demand for skilled health care workers. In Marion County, laid-off workers were trained in welding while still receiving food assistance.

One facet of Project Prepare is educating high school students about the manufacturing opportunities in their own backyards. That included three tours and informational sessions about the hundreds of well-paid jobs available in skilled trades locally. Some require bachelor's degrees while others just require a high school diploma and willingness to work, Hottinger said.

For Thirty-One Gifts, the tour was a great opportunity to showcase what they do and pique students' interests in the direct sales industry, said Chris Channels, loss prevention and safety supervisor at the company's Johnstown plant. The company frequently needs people in facilities maintenance, human resources, information technology and loss prevention. Those positions require a variety of levels of education, he added.

"We are trying to target them a little bit. Military recruits high school students, colleges recruit high school students, but we don't have local businesses recruiting students," Hottinger said. "We have kids who are falling through the cracks and don't know the opportunities that are out there."

Part of the challenge is getting parents to support options that aren't a four-year college degree, she added.

"They automatically think they want their kid to go to college. Four-year degrees are not for everybody," Hottinger said. "That's a harsh message that not everyone wants to hear, but it's the truth, especially with the cost of college."

Not all Licking Valley High School students will continue their education past high school, so educators have a responsibility to prepare those students for the workforce, Weaver said.

"We should be asking about the job skills," Weaver said.

Organizers started with two schools but plan to roll it out to more next school year. They also plan to link unemployed or underemployed residents with training and manufacturing mentors, Hottinger said. That piece is still in its infancy stages.

A third piece would offer scholarships for workforce development that would offset the costs of training. Some people might not have the money to better themselves in their career and put food on the table, Hottinger said.

Project Prepare is the latest in efforts from Licking County officials to address the need for skilled laborers in the area. The Career and Education Technology Centers of Licking County, Ohio State University's Newark campus and Central Ohio Technical College use employers' input to craft programs.

C-TEC recently created a heavy truck equipment program to respond to the need for workers in central Ohio, said Brian Wilfong, C-TEC marketing and recruitment coordinator. Instructors regularly communicate with local businesses for feedback on their programs or to offer training, he added.

"That's what drives economic growth. We all live here and we want the best economically we can have," Wilfong said.

The Workforce Innovation Development Center at COTC offers contract training to businesses, such as safety certifications, technical skill enhancement and professional designation exam preparation, center director Vicki Maple said.

COTC is working with THK Manufacturing in Hebron to provide leadership training for its workers. The college is collaborating with Boeing in Heath so students can receive hands-on training at the business and potentially secure jobs there after graduation, Maple said.

"Our mission is to meet the tech education and training needs of students and employers in the area," Maple said.

Another local initiative is the Summer Teacher Externship Program, which allows teachers to spend a week or two working in an area industry so they can bring their first-hand experience back to the classroom, she added.

"The focus is on manufacturing and technology. There is such a demand for those particular careers," Maple said.

jbalmert@gannett.com

740-328-8548

Twitter: @jbalmert

Looking for a job?

Details about local job openings are available at OhioMeansJobs.com.

Looking for information?

To find out about the Career and Education Technology Centers of Licking County's opportunities, call 740-364-2832 for high school programs or 740-364-2333 for adult education programs. You can also visit www.c-tec.edu.

For details on the Workforce Innovation Development Center, which provides on-the-job training to businesses, visit www.cotc.edu/Communities/workforce-development-innovation-center1 or call 740-366-9494.

Information about offerings at Ohio State University's Newark campus is available at www.newark.osu.edu or 740-366-3321.