JobsOhio launches worker training incentive

YOUNGSTOWN -- Workers can earn wages while obtaining certifications and degrees through a new incentive program JobsOhio rolled out Monday at Youngstown State University.

Ohio employers can receive up to $10,000 per worker to train new and existing employees for skilled technician jobs through the JobsOhio Technician Path program, which will provide financial incentives for approved associate degree programs, technical certificate training and registered apprenticeships. Participating employees will continue working and earning wages while completing their training.

The program is intended to address a shortage of skilled technicians created by industrial growth and the retirement of experienced workers. Officials said Ohio has roughly one qualified technician for every five available positions.

"As our workforce evolves and experienced employees retire, we recognize that we can't simply wait for skilled talent to appear," said Chris Pinter, human resources business lead for aluminum manufacturer Novelis. "We have to be intentional about developing it."

The Youngstown event, held at YSU's Excellence Training Center, was one of seven across Ohio to launch the program, the first phase of a $300 million experiential learning initiative announced by JobsOhio earlier this year.

To qualify, a company must be located in Ohio, operate within one of JobsOhio's targeted industries and pay participating workers at least $20 an hour. Incentive payments will be tied to three milestones along each worker's training pathway.

Pinter said modern manufacturing technicians do considerably more than repair machinery.

"Our technicians troubleshoot complex manufacturing systems, work with automation and controls, analyze data and solve problems in real time," she said. "They help ensure that we can safely and efficiently produce the aluminum products our customers rely on every day."

Lake to River Economic Development will administer the program regionally in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties. CEO Dani Robbins said manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, and aerospace and defense are the three industries expected to benefit most from the incentive in the Lake-to-River region.

Robbins said the program is open to both newly hired and current employees.

"It's an earn-to-learn program, so they're working and they're learning at the same time," she said. "They're paying their bills, they're getting a salary, but they're also skilling up and training to move into a new role."

Robbins said technicians operate, maintain and troubleshoot the equipment and systems employers depend upon, making a reliable supply of trained workers necessary for companies considering expansion.

"If we want employers to grow, we have to grow the talent pipeline alongside them, and specifically the skilled-technician pipeline," she said.

JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef said the availability of skilled workers is a significant factor when companies consider expanding or investing in Ohio.

"As companies consider growth in Ohio, the availability of technical talent represents a large part of that evaluation, and the incentive helps ensure we can continue to win," Nauseef said in a news release.

YSU President Bill Johnson said the university already offers several programs that could qualify for the incentive and expects to add more.

Those offered through the Excellence Training Center include manual and computer numerical control machining, industrial maintenance, robotics and automation, and several forms of additive manufacturing.

Johnson said employers throughout the region and state consistently identify finding skilled workers as one of their greatest challenges. The country's aging workforce and declining birth rate, he said, make it necessary to create more routes into technical careers for students, displaced workers and people changing careers.

"We need the doers, the makers, the builders," Johnson said. "We also need the great visionary, researching kind of thinking that's going to solve the next generation of problems."

He said competition for those workers extends beyond the region and state.

"We are also in a global competition for intellectual capital, for the people that do that work," Johnson said. "And we all have a role to play in that."

Mahoning County Career & Technical Center Superintendent John Zehentbauer said career centers, universities, apprenticeship programs and workforce development organizations throughout the region already have the instructors, equipment and employer relationships needed to provide the training.

"Whether an employer needs a short-term credential, customized training, a registered apprenticeship, an associate degree pathway or a pathway from a career center right into higher education, we can work together to create the right solution," he said.

Although most career centers cannot award college credit directly, Zehentbauer said many of their programs are connected to colleges and universities through articulation agreements. That allows participants to apply their technical training toward a certificate or degree rather than starting over.

The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition will serve as the program's regional concierge, helping employers identify their workforce needs and connect with training providers.

MVMC Executive Director Alex Hertzer said employers will not need to determine on their own which degree, credential or apprenticeship program fits their needs. The coalition will coordinate among the employer, JobsOhio and local training providers.

"You tell us what talent you need to develop, what employees, what gaps you have, and really it's our goal to be able to take that and create an action plan," Hertzer said.

Hertzer said the financial incentive is significant, but funding by itself will not establish a lasting workforce pipeline.

"At the end of the day, a check alone is not going to solve your problems," he said. "That's not really what creates a sustainable workforce training program."

Employers can obtain more information and apply at jobsohio.com/path.