The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association

The OMA was interested in better connecting with its members across Ohio to support their workforce development efforts. It was looking for a model for industry engagement.

Working with the OMA staff and membership, we identified and developed industry champions across the state to serve as members of the OMA’s Workforce Leadership Committee as well as founders and officers of regional industry sector partnerships. Our firm provides the champions with information, best practices, and technical assistance to implement workforce development solutions and identify policy needs. We also coordinate the OMA’s Intermediary Committee, made up of workforce professionals who serve manufacturer needs, and the State Agency Committee, a collaborative with representation from higher education, K-12 education, economic development, and other key state departments, to ensure that the network of sector partnerships has the resources and support it needs to meet manufacturers’ workforce demands.

TPMA is staffing the OMA’s manufacturing workforce efforts, including identifying and engaging regional partnerships and industry leaders to expand the adoption of the sector partnership model throughout Ohio. We are responsible for stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and execution of the OMA’s Workforce Roadmap. We developed a set of tools and resources, including webinars and workshops, to launch and/or strengthen manufacturing sector partnerships (see http://www.ohiomfg.com/workforce-services/).

With TPMA staffing the OMA’s manufacturing workforce efforts, industry sector partnerships have become the system for delivering industry-driven solutions to workforce training and supply challenges and Ohio’s key workforce change strategy. With advocacy from the OMA’s Workforce Leadership Committee, Ohio’s Governor and his administration have embraced sector partnerships as a strategy for change, providing state-level funding for sector partnerships. The OMA workforce services team, led by TPMA, has forged partnerships with the Ohio TechNet, a consortium of community colleges and state universities, forming the Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership (OMWP). In 2019, the OMWP was awarded a $12 million Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This grant will support the adoption and expansion of industry recognized apprenticeship programs and registered apprenticeship pathways through sector partnerships, engaging 500+ employers and 5,000 apprentices over the next four years.

The OMA’s Workforce Services team and their industry champions have been a driver of educational innovation in Ohio, working with the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Ohio TechNet, and the Ohio Technical Centers to drive statewide alignment around industry recognized credentials, high school graduation requirements, and post-secondary completion.