The coalition did not immediately say how much the contribution is, but the goal is a program puts participants on the path to good manufacturing jobs, offering a living wage or better.
The work is focused on Montgomery County today but will serve the broader Western Ohio region, a foundation announcement said.
“We ran a couple of pilot camps last year, and took some lessons learned out of those,” said Joe Sciabica, executive director of the Employers’ Workforce Coalition and a former Air Force Research Laboratory executive.
The camps were programs meant to impart skills useful in the workforce for 18-year-olds. The result was a 50% participation rate — meaning half of expected participants did not show up for training.
“I look at that and say, gosh, that’s a glass half-empty, right?” Sciabica said.
But some of his colleagues suggested otherwise. “They say, wow, you got 50%,” Sciabica said with a laugh.
The goal this time is to go further, to give participants training and access to employers who want to interview them. Those who stick with the training will earn a certificate or credential that sets them up for success in the workplace.
“We’re taking a little bit different of tack,” Sciabica said. “We’ll see if this works.”
Partners will be crucial to this effort, Sciabica said. Working with Sinclair Community college, the Dayton Region Manufacturing Association (DRMA), SOCHE (the Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education) , and Dayton youth social services organization Daybreak, the foundation intends to find about 16 young adults — people 18 to 30 years old — who will benefit from this kind of training.
Training begins in April at Sinclair.
The plan is a three-phase investment. If there’s early success, further contributions could follow, Sciabica said.
The moment is opportune, coalition leaders believe.
Employers such as General Motors’ Duramax, Semcorp, Sierra Nevada, United Alloy, Westrafo America and others are creating new local opportunities.
“As these companies expand and thousands of new jobs emerge, one challenge is increasingly clear: the need for more trained workers to meet growing employer demand,” the Employers’ Workforce Coalition said in a statement.
“Employers tell us every day that finding skilled talent is their No. 1 challenge,” said Amy Schrimpf, president of DRMA and a member of the coalition’s Executive Leadership Group. “This initiative brings employers to the table as active partners and creates new pathways into meaningful manufacturing careers.”
A core feature of the manufacturing skills sprint is internships and other work-based learning experiences that let participants apply what they learn in classrooms and workshops, the coalition said.
“Internships are one of the most powerful ways to turn technical training into proven, on-the-job performance,” said Cassie Barlow, president of SOCHE.
For more information about the sprint, those interested are referred to Dani Heeter, director of the Office of Work-based Learning for Sinclair Community College, at dani.heeter@sinclair.edu.
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