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What is the Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership?
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BY PATRICIA FAULHABER
In response to challenges related to attracting, hiring, training and retaining a qualified workforce, a core group of manufacturers has taken action by forming the Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership (SCMWDP), a collaboration of area manufacturers and stakeholders.
Founding member manufacturers include Barbco, Biery Cheese, H-P Products, Koch Knight, Lindsey Precast, The M. K. Morse Company, MT Systems, Ohio Gratings, QuickDraft and Stark Industrial. The partnership officers include James Batchelder from The M.K. Morse Company as president, Thomas Schmidt from Barbco as vice president and executive members Mike Hoffman from Lindsay Precast and Allen Green from H-P Products.
The partnership was formed through collective efforts by the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Stark Economic Development Board (SEDB) and MAGNET.
In a recent Q&A interview, Barbara Bennett of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce answered questions about the SCMWDP.
Q. WHAT IS THE STARK COUNTY MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP?
A. The SCMWDP is known as an Industry Sector Partnership, which in this case, consists of manufacturers, education systems, economic development organizations and community organizations from Stark County. Together, these organizations support a single industry and manufacturing workforce issues and initiatives.
Q. HOW IS THE CANTON CHAMBER AND/OR YOURSELF INVOLVED WITH THE SCMWDP?
A. I became involved in the concept of Industry Sector Partnerships from case studies from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (think of the Houston area and the oil and gas industry workforce shortage in the early 2000s), researching what other Ohio communities were doing to address workforce issues and by participating in industry sector partnerships in surrounding counties. My goals this year as the Vice President of Education & Workforce include helping to launch industry sector partnerships in manufacturing, IT/digital, construction and trades, logistics and health care. These are the industries that had the most job openings in Stark County in 2019 or have the potential for good-paying jobs. The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, MAGNET and SEDB all have a similar goal to support and grow Stark County’s manufacturing industry. Attracting a new generation of manufacturing workforce is a key component. We call the Chamber, MAGNET and SEDB as the neutral intermediaries as we have developed the relationships with the manufacturers, education, workforce and other communitybased organizations as part of our day-to-day workflow and through various volunteer leadership activities in the Stark County community.
Q. WHY WAS THE GROUP FORMED?
A. The group was formed as it was recognized by individual manufacturers that together there was more
WAS RECOGNIZED BY INDIVIDUAL MANUFACTURERS THAT TOGETHER THERE WAS MORE FORCE IN NUMBERS TO HOLISTICALLY INCREASE THE LABOR POOL OF OUR OWN STARK COUNTY TALENT ENTERING MANUFACTURING. ...”
—BARBARA BENNETT
force in numbers to holistically increase the labor pool of our own Stark County talent entering manufacturing. Together, manufacturing industry leaders have a better opportunity to align curriculum, influence policy, attract funding for initiatives and market manufacturing as a viable career pathway.
Q. WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE PARTNERSHIP?
A. The industry leaders have identified two priorities which include: Priority 1. Career Navigation: Increase the manufacturing knowledge of career coaches/navigators/guidance counselors who are working with students and job seekers so that they can provide more accurate and compelling information to their clients. Provide comprehensive support for job seekers, students and employees to mitigate barriers to success. Priority 2. Outreach: Build awareness of manufacturing careers and SCMWDP; recruit individuals into manufacturing careers and businesses into SCMWDP membership. Activities completed since March of this year through the intermediaries and the collaborative infrastructure that exists within Stark County include: • SCMWDP intermediaries have informed and encouraged local manufacturing companies to capitalize on TechCred and other state-level funding streams as a means to expand skill sets among their existing manufacturing workers. • SCMWDP intermediaries have informed and encouraged local manufacturing companies to capitalize on the pre-apprenticeship program and had ConxusNEO present the program to the employer members. • Participation in Stark Career Connect forum. SCMWDP companies met with “navigators” from workforce partners such as OhioMeansJobs, Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland & East Central Ohio, Greater Stark County Urban League and ICAN Housing, who are helping job seekers find careers. These forums not only provide the navigators with a better understanding of each manufacturing company, but they also help dispel misconceptions of the manufacturing industry work environment. • Created the SCMWDP logo and have registered and received permission to use the “Making Ohio” branding package from the Ohio Manufacturers Association. • Engaged an intern to establish a social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and other platforms. • Have given greater visibility to the SCMWDP partnership and opportunities for students through events such as Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio’s Virtual Career Exploration Fair, the Black College Hall of Fame Football Classic College and Career Fair, and the upcoming Manufacturing Day. • Presented the opportunity for SCMWDP partners to be summer host employers for high school students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, which would help promote more diversity in the manufacturing workforce.
• The SCMWDP President, Jim Batchelder, had an op-ed published in The Canton Repository, and also was interviewed by WHBC, promoting the purpose and mission of the SCMWDP. The op-ed also was published in the Canton Regional Chamber’s newsletter, reaching 1,800 members. • Provided communication through the 17 Stark County school superintendents to every graduating senior in the county promoting manufacturing careers and existing job openings using a QR code and temporary web page at CantonChamber.org/manufacturing. • Engaged, endorsed and will coordinate with MAGNET’s “Blueprint for Manufacturing” campaign to win the “hearts and minds” of the community. • Recruited two companies to serve on a local high school’s Engineering Business Advisory Council. • Initiated the creation of a dedicated website which will be found at StarkManufacturing.org. • Filed the organization with Secretary of State and is pursuing a nonprofit status with the IRS. • Received the Ohio Manufacturers Association endorsement for an Industry Sector Partnership.
Q. CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME STATISTICS FOR THE MANUFACTURING LABOR SHORTAGE IN STARK COUNTY?
A. There are 550 manufacturing companies in Stark County, representing 26,000 jobs. These are good-paying jobs with an average NE Ohio salary of $72,000, according to 2016 survey from the Ohio Manufacturers Association. According to JobsOhio data, 456 open positions were found in manufacturing as of June 2. We suspect JobsOhio data is not complete, as data from several of the major jobs platforms may be missing. These jobs range from engineering to entry level production workers to administration managers.
Q. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THE MANUFACTURING LABOR SHORTAGE IN THE AREA?
A. Even before the labor shortage of 2021 found in all industries, manufacturing was struggling to attract new talent. There are many reasons, but one that keeps cropping up is that manufacturing has a “bad rap” and image problem of being a dirty and unstable industry. We want the public, and especially the new
generation of workforce, to recognize that manufacturing in Stark County is NOT the rust belt, but we ARE the technology belt. In addition, manufacturing needs to promote that there are always ways to advance in the workplace. Manufacturing is a great career pathway.
Q. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THE SCMWDP PLANS TO ADDRESS THE SHORTAGES?
A. One of the long-range goals of the SCMWDP is to become more engaged in the school systems, beginning at the middle school level and continuing through high school and higher education. Middle school engagement includes manufacturing camps, career day presentations, field trips for students or instructors, sponsoring robotics clubs and other initiatives. High school engagement includes manufacturing days, learn to earn programs, shadowing, mentoring and other initiatives. Building relationships and marketing manufacturing as a viable career pathway is the long-term objective over the next five years. Short term, manufacturers are making adjustments to wages, benefits, work/life balance and opportunities to advance just like all other industries.
Q. WHO CAN GET INVOLVED WITH THE GROUP?
A. There is a place and role for all of the strategic partners shown on the graphic (above) to be engaged with the manufacturing industry when needed. If an organization supports workforce and the manufacturing industry, then we want them to be involved with the SCMWDP.
Q. HOW CAN COMPANIES OR INDIVIDUALS JOIN?
A. Individual manufacturing companies should contact Barbara Hammontree Bennett at the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce at BarbB@CantonChamber.org or 330-458-2059 in order to be added to the SCMWDP distribution list and the invitation list to the monthly meetings. All manufacturers in Stark County are invited and encouraged to join the membership. The 34 companies that are engaged find great value in the meetings, the results of the initiatives, the augmented relationships with the other manufacturers and the connections made with community and education organizations.
