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LISBON, Ohio – While roughly 10% of Ohioans work in manufacturing, more than 20% of the jobs in Columbiana County are manufacturing-related.
Despite the high pay for many manufacturing jobs, drawing young people into the field has been a struggle. But a new scholarship program for Columbiana County Career and Technical Center students aims to encourage students to consider careers in manufacturing.
The scholarship program, through Magnet and the Columbiana County Port Authority, awards between $500 and $1,000 to students graduating from the school’s welding and machining programs. The inaugural scholarships were awarded during the senior awards ceremony in May. The winning students, selected by their teachers, received plaques, and their names are now listed on gear plaques on a wall at the CCCTC.
On Tuesday, representatives from CCCTC, the port authority and the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition gathered at the school to highlight the program.
Superintendent Jeremy Corbisello said the plan is to extend the gear plaques down the hall and impress upon students that working hard toward their career path can lead to the scholarships, which can be used for work boots, uniforms, tools, PPE or other items they need to enter the workforce.
“If you work hard and you’re the most improved welder, [for example], you could get a scholarship and your name is going to be added to the wall,” Corbisello said, adding he believes the idea could really gain momentum and help students set goals.
Brittany Smith, assistant director of the port authority, said many local businesses are in need of workers.
“Typically, everyone’s going from high school to a four-year college, leaving Columbiana County and never coming back,” Smith said. “So it’s been something that’s been a topic of ours and really something we’ve been trying to focus on – how do we maintain youth here in Columbiana County?”
She said there continues to be a stigma about manufacturing, and more effort is needed to celebrate the workforce and bring attention to the high-paying jobs, often in clean manufacturing locations and capable of supporting a family.
Magnet, a manufacturing consulting group that works with several local companies, proposed the idea of investing in the Columbiana County workforce. Haedan Panezott, project manager at the port authority, said scholarships for emerging fields seemed to be the best match.
“Especially in our area, manufacturing is so crucial to our economy,” Panezott said. “Twenty percent of our entire workforce is employed in manufacturing, but you look at the high school level and there’s such a push for kids to go towards college. And there’s different alternatives out there, and we really want to highlight that.”
Panezott said there are job openings at all the manufacturers the port authority works with, yet many students believe they have to move away to find opportunities.
Alex Hertzger, executive director of the MVMC, said any support that can help students graduating high school to upskill even further and transition from an entry-level employee into one with several valuable skills is important. He said machining and welding are two of the “super in-demand” fields manufacturers need workers for.
Corbisello said the MVMC supports the CCCTC’s drug-free program, which awards students making that commitment, and supports the career exploration mobile unit, which helps introduce younger students to the trades.
“It really takes a village to provide the support that these students need to be successful,” Corbisello said.
The inaugural scholarship winners are:
Pictured at top: From left are Alex Hertzger, Brittany Smith, Haedan Panezott and Jeremy Corbisello.
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