Region to pitch careers in manufacturing; Young adults will hear high-tech, high-paying jobs available in area
BYLINE: Marilyn Miller, Beacon Journal business writer
Manufacturing is not dead in Northeast Ohio, but it's not the same industry your grandfather knew.
The jobs are different these days: more high-tech and more competitive.
``They are new and better manufacturing jobs that might be hard to imagine if you haven't visited a factory lately,'' said Stephen Gage, the president of MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network.
``Our goal is to educate students, parents and teachers about the new reality of manufacturing: high-paying, challenging and interesting careers in technologically sophisticated environments,'' he said.
A $3 million awareness campaign called Dream It! Do It! is designed to encourage a primary target group of 18- to -24-year-old students to explore and pursue careers in manufacturing. A 16-county coalition of business organizations, educators and civic leaders led by MAGNET is backing the drive.
Supporters of the drive gathered Tuesday at the Crowne Plaza at Quaker Square in Akron for the third of seven regional campaign kickoff events in Medina, Portage and Summit counties.
MAGNET's initiatives to heighten awareness will include print, billboard, radio and direct-mail advertising, brochures and job and career fairs. The group has also launched a Web site at www.dreamit-doit.com/northeastohio.
``Manufacturing is not going away. It has led in the way of productivity, but it does have an image problem,'' said Daniel Colantone, president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber. ``Today's best and brightest students are not turning toward manufacturing.''
Gage said manufacturing is already struggling to find qualified replacements for skilled workers reaching retirement age. MAGNET's efforts are intended to reverse the trend of a shrinking skilled work force.
An estimated 5,500 people will have to be hired in the next three years to fill existing manufacturing jobs, and 60,000 jobs will be created in the industry over the next 10 years.
N.E. Ohio manufacturing
``Manufacturing is alive and well. Manufacturing has always been and still is the very heart of Northeast Ohio,'' said Curtis Moll, president and CEO of MTD Corp. in Medina County, which manufactures power mowers and garden tools. Moll has agreed to lead the MAGNET effort.
He said 330,000 people in Northeast Ohio have manufacturing jobs.
``Our young people can have an exciting, well-paying career right in their own backyard with manufacturers that are creating cutting-edge products that beat the global competition,'' Moll said.
``Innovation is the key. Anybody can copy what we do and make it for less money. Our products have to be better and (provide) more value to people to compete in a global market. We have to obsolete ourselves.''
Not only do manufacturing companies have to provide the best product in a cost-effective way, but Moll added they must also elevate their marketing strategies. ``You can have the best product out there, but if you can't get the message out to the marketplace, you can forget it,'' Moll said.
Pitch to youngsters
Moll said targeting high school and college students isn't aiming young enough. He suggests starting in middle school to establish a foundation and build it up.
University of Akron President Luis Proenza agreed that there has to be an early intervention with youths to build a pipeline and meet the challenge the region faces.
``This is a national issue. We must be ready to expand education and training capabilities so we can compete on a global level,'' he said.
Proenza said it's a new day in the manufacturing world: ``The jobs being lost in manufacturing are not what young people want or need to remain competitive globally.''
He urged business leaders to become strong partners with MAGNET and to encourage young people to look into the diverse career opportunities in manufacturing. Those opportunities might be a test engineer for an MP3 maker or a software developer for a computer game company.
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or 800-777-7232 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.