Amy Merrill-Wyatt, Middle School Careers Teacher, Springfield Local Schools asks a question during a recent tour of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in Toledo. State Representatives Michael Sheehy (far right) and Teresa Fedor were also in attendance.
Northwest State Community College recently hosted a series of manufacturing-focused exploration sessions throughout Toledo and the surrounding areas, with audiences ranging from students to adults. Locally, the College’s Custom Training Solutions (CTS) group partnered with The Chamber Partnership, Penta Career Center, CIFT, Kennametal and Supplemental Staffing to bring the events to the public. State Representatives Teresa Fedor (District 45-Toledo) and Michael Sheehy (District 46-Oregon) were among the guests welcomed during the sessions.
The events began with a roundtable at CTS at the College’s UT-Scott Park facility, and continued throughout the week with plant tours, manufacturing expos and roundtables. In addition to the Scott Park location, guests were able to take guided tours at Plastic Technologies, Designetics, Tonair, Crum Manufacturing, Kennametal, Surface Combustion, Willy’s Fresh Salsa, Spartan Chemical and NYSUS Solutions.
“We regularly hear from manufacturers, both large and small, that they are in need of more employees,” said Tami Norris, Computer Training Coordinator for CTS. “Through our agency connections we know that there are people in the area that are unemployed or underemployed. Here at CTS we provide the training in technical and job ready skills to help prepare people for those open positions,” Norris concluded.
ABOUT ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
The website mfgday.com lists some interesting facts about advanced manufacturing:
• For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, another $1.89 is added to the economy.
• In 2016, the average manufacturing worker in the United States earned $82,023 annually, including pay and benefits.
• Manufacturers have one of the highest percentages of workers who are eligible for health benefits provided by their employer.
• Over the next decade, nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will likely be needed, and 2 million are expected to go unfilled due to the skills gap.
• Taken alone, manufacturing in the United States would be the ninth-largest economy in the world.
• Manufacturers in the United States perform more than three-quarters of all private-sector research and development in the nation, driving more innovation than any other sector.
David Conover demonstrates the portable hydraulic training equipment during a recent tour of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in Toledo. State Representatives Michael Sheehy (far right) and Teresa Fedor were among those in attendance.
ABOUT CUSTOM TRAINING SOLUTIONS
Custom Training Solutions is a division of Northwest State Community College, providing businesses with access to cutting-edge training, designed to meet the customer’s individual needs. Training can be brought directly to the business via on-site work, video conference or mobile lab units. CTS also has training facilities located in Toledo, Archbold and Van Wert. Additional information on CTS is available online at trainwithcts.com.
Northwest State Community College is an accredited two-year, state-assisted institution of higher education that has served northwest Ohio since 1969. Northwest State is committed to providing a quality, affordable education with personal attention and small class sizes. The College offers associate degrees with numerous transfer options, short-term certificate programs, and workforce training programs designed to meet the needs of local businesses and industries. For more information, visit NorthwestState.edu or call 419.267. 5511.
