Jobs are coming to the region, and Project Hire could be increasingly useful as employers seek to address a mismatch of skills, while also assisting unemployed, underemployed and displaced workers prepare for the job demands of growing industries, program officials said.
“This (program) offsets lost productivity, so I think employers are getting smarter about needing to bridge that skills gap by bringing in employees who can be productive; they just may not be productive day No. 1,” said David Snipes, the OhioMeansJobs Montgomery County Workforce Investment Act administrator.
Brainerd Industries Inc., a manufacturer of cosmetic trim parts in Miamisburg, hired Mark Dunkman, even though his skill set was lacking.
Dunkman, a displaced worker from the plastic injection molding industry, had lots of knowledge and experience but had never worked in powder coating, silk-screening and stamping.
Yet Brainerd Industries choose to add him to its payroll and train him on the job.
Through Project Hire, the company has been able to hire 14 people for key positions who just required some training to meet the work responsibilities, said Ronda Reynolds, executive vice president and director of operations at Brainerd.
“Whereas before, we would hire someone who was exactly qualified for Brainerd, and now we’re hiring people we feel we can train,” she said. “They’ve got skills, but they don’t have our skills.”
Project Hire reimburses companies as much as 50 percent of each new employee’s wages for up to six months or $8,000.
Companies register for the program, recruit eligible employees and then are reimbursed for a portion of the wages of their new hires as they learn on the job.
Project Hire was first created in 2009 and paid for with stimulus funds.
The stimulus funds went away, but OhioMeansJobs Montgomery County continued offering on-the-job training using different federal funds.
Earlier this year, the agency re-branded its training program Project Hire, selecting the name because of its familiarity, especially among employers. Officials said the agency continued the program because of the many benefits to employers and workers.
Employers need a workforce that is trained or trainable, and the program allows employers to hire people who will be good employees once they learn how to accomplish specific job tasks, said Mark Anderson, the workforce marketing coordinator with OhioMeansJobs Montgomery County.
“On-the-job training has proven to be a great development tool as employers strive to hire not only qualified but very trainable employees,” he said.
The program targets small and medium-sized businesses, with a focus on growing industries, including logistics, manufacturing, customer service, call centers, information technology and health care, Anderson said.
Fuyao, the auto glass producer, is expected to hire about 1,000 workers at its plant in Moraine. Proctor & Gamble is hiring 800 people for its distribution center in Union.
Some of these big companies are going to attract experienced workers away from local factories and businesses, and the jobs they leave behind will need to be filled, Anderson said.
About 200 people have become employed through the program since 2009, and more than 85 percent of workers are retained by the companies when the mandatory employment period ends, said David Snipes, the county Workforce Investment Act administrator.
The program is funded through the Workforce Investment Act, and workers must be eligible for the program. About 30 companies have participated in the program since the re-branding in July.
OhioMeansJobs officials are working to raise awareness of the program, hoping companies with unmet labor needs will consider on-the-job training as a way to acquire workers with the needed qualifications.
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