New State Budget Includes More than $5M for Local Projects
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The new Ohio operating budget includes more than $5 million for local projects.
Much of the funding – $3.5 million – is dedicated toward efforts at America Makes being made in partnership with Eastern Gateway Community College to develop an additive manufacturing training curriculum and programming for middle and high school students and minority and economically disadvantaged individuals, as well as to retrain and reskill adult workers, said Andrew Resnick, director of communications and public affairs at America Makes.
“The appropriation really aims at further establishing a training network for the Valley, a path towards careers in the AM field and robust workforce that can match the growth of the AM industry in the Valley,” he said.
Other projects funded by the budget are the Mahoning Valley Campus of Care in Austintown, receiving $1 million, and the Eastern Ohio Military Affairs Commission, which received $600,000 for the promotion of Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna Township and Camp James A. Garfield in Ravenna.
“Additive manufacturing and America Makes, specifically, offer a sustainable, competitive advantage to grow not only the Valley economy but the entire Ohio economy. The Campus of Care is a unique concept in supporting our most vulnerable citizens,” said Guy Coviello, president and CEO of the chamber, in a statement. “And the work performed by Vito Abruzzino and EOMAC has helped the economic output at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station grow from $89 million to $137 million.”
The funding follows Monday’s announcement that the U.S. House Appropriations Committee had committed $9 million to widen the runway at YARS.
The Ohio budget now awaits the signature of Gov. Mike DeWine. He has until the end of the day June 30 to sign it into law.
“Leaders from our business and political communities came together with one Valley voice to lend support for these priorities,” said Ryan McNaughton, chamber vice president of government affairs. “We are grateful to our elected officials for listening to, and providing dollars for, these important initiatives.”
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
