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Area partners work to rebuild America
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
In the past three years, a group of manufacturers, education leaders and others have accomplished a lot.
For one, they’ve helped a number of students obtain about 5,000 credentials for a range of industries.
Two, they’ve made connections and established partnerships.
Three, they’ve attracted more than $14 million in grants.
Plus, the group known collectively as the OH-Penn Collaborative will continue to help rebuild America.
“All of the various [initiatives] we have done are something to celebrate,” said Jessica Borza, Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition’s executive director.
But there’s more work to be done for the collaborative, which comprises members in the MVMC and the Manufacturing Industry Partnership of Lawrence and Mercer counties.
On Tuesday, manufacturers, education and training leaders, workforce-development professionals, elected officials and representatives from local organizations gathered at Youngstown State University’s Kilcawley Center for the Rebuilding America: Northeastern Ohio/Western Pennsylvania Manufacturing Career Pathways Summit.
The event was hosted by the OH-Penn Collaborative, Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and YSU. The discussion centered on workforce issues.
There’s a common theme across the nation with manufacturers: finding the skilled workforce to fill jobs.
The event included an interactive presentation for the collaborative to gain some feedback from the audience, talks on additive manufacturing, state-level policy support and other topics.
Three years ago, another summit gave the collaborative the chance to hear feedback from area manufacturers.
From there, the group has started a list of initiatives to help grow the workforce, which created a partnership with education providers.
The collaborative, YSU, Eastern Gateway Community College and others plan to have a collaboration lab for students formed within the next three years.
“We want to be able to bring them together where we have the facilities, the capabilities so everyone can work together so they can solve whatever problem they have,” said Martin Abraham, provost and vice president of academic affairs at YSU. “We have come together because we know this is what we need to do for the community.”
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, said the collaboration is essential.
“There’s a lot of oars in the water and you have to make sure they are all going in the same direction, and this is a step in the direction where they can make that happen,” Ryan said.
Both Ryan and U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, discussed opportunities in oil and natural gas at the summit.
“I am proud of what you are doing,” Johnson said at the summit. “This is where innovation starts.”