Ohio Manufacturers’ Association Endorses MVMC as Local Partner

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio  – The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association’s leadership committee has voted to endorse the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition as a local industry sector partnership for its efforts to grow Ohio’s manufacturing talent.

Established in 2011, MVMC united area manufacturers to identify common challenges and opportunities, share ideas and collectively champion solutions to address the priority needs of the industry, particularly as they relate to developing a skilled local workforce. MVMC focuses on the recruitment of qualified, new employees into the various skilled trades occupations required to operate local manufacturing businesses.

“OMA’s endorsement is meaningful to us in that it lends additional credibility to our initiatives and early successes, all of which are geared toward helping our local manufacturer members profitably grow their businesses,” said Jessica Borza, MVMC’s executive director, in a statement.

MVMC is part of the Manufacturing Industry Sector Partnership. Sector partnerships are widely recognized as a proven strategy for meeting the employment and skill needs of workers and employers. Sector partnership members – under manufacturers’ leadership – collectively work to address priority issues, create a system of accountability and strengthen the community.

Because manufacturers continue to face a severe talent shortage, the OMA has invested considerable time and resources to coordinate a statewide network of regional sector partnerships to reform how Ohio attracts and develops its manufacturing workforce. There are currently more than a dozen OMA-endorsed partnerships across Ohio.

Manufacturing is Ohio’s largest economic sector, employs more than 700,000 Ohioans, and contributes more than $100 billion annually to the state economy, according to the OMA.

“We are so glad to have MVMC as part of our network and look forward to continued collaboration,” said OMA President Eric Burkland.

Among the association’s efforts are ensuring students are ready for careers by connecting education institutions to industry credentials, engaging under-represented populations and developing innovative work-and-learn programs that provide on-the-job training and mentorships.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.