V&M helping to curb ‘brain drain’

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

When Michael Yatsco, 24, of Poland graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in mechanical engineering, he got busy looking for a job to fit his educational achievements.

He spent a full year on what he calls a “frustrating” search.

“It was just e-mails and rejections saying, ‘Oh, the job has already been filled,’” said Yatsco.

But persistence paid off. Last June, Yatsco became a process engineer at V&M Star, an international specialty steel-pipe maker with operations on the border of Youngstown and Girard.

For Yatsco, the new job came with perks beyond a steady paycheck.

“I was excited because I knew I could stay here in the Valley and have a really great job at the same time,” he said.

For years, local experts in education, employment and business have lamented Youngstown’s “brain drain” — the widespread belief that ambitious young people must move far away from their Valley homes if they are to find good jobs and launch successful careers.

Many saw degrees from YSU as the answer to the brain drain, and enrollment there has grown to record heights, but a degree does not create job openings or pay wages and benefits. Viable businesses are still part of the equation.

That’s where V&M Star comes in. V&M’s plant — a sprawling pipe mill running between U.S. Route 422 and the Mahoning River — represents an improving future in the Youngstown region. V&M employs more than 300 workers at its existing mill, but local operations soon will double in size with a $650 million dollar additional new mill under construction.

This new mill, which is scheduled to start production in late 2011, represents the single-largest employment opportunity the Valley has seen in generations.

“We need college graduates,” said Trina Rauscher-Cooper, V&M’s director of human resources. “This is a modern mill we are investing in. It will compete globally, and continuous improvement is very important to us, so we need employees with college degrees who can move our business forward and keep us viable and competitive in the marketplace.”

Jon Neider, 25, of Stru-thers is an example of what V&M is looking for. His father has worked in the pipe mill for 20 years, making Neider a legacy hire. But, instead of joining his dad on the line, Neider earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at YSU and joined V&M as an engineer and project manager.

Of his new job, Neider said: “This is a great opportunity for me. I like my job and the people I work with, and it’s good I get to stay in the area because all of my family is around here. Plus, my dad is proud I work here.”

Martin Abraham, dean of YSU’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, meets with area companies — such as V&M — to ensure the university offers training that is in-demand in the marketplace.

“The more [YSU] can do to support the companies in our region, the better off the university will be,” Abraham said. “We have to engage with these companies so our students have employment in the community.”

V&M’s Rauscher-Cooper has been reviewing applications for the 350 jobs that will be created with the new pipe mill. She says, of those positions, about 100 will be professional positions with high-growth career-development opportunity.

V&M continues to accept applications for employment for its existing facility as well as the new mill. To apply or to get more information, go to www.VMJobsOnline.com. For more information on YSU, go to www.ysu.edu.