The advanced manufacturing workforce of the future — right here in Northeast Ohio.

Community College Partners 

Our local community colleges are the region's greatest asset in providing the training, technical skills, and other important support services for the future workforce.

Cuyahoga Community College’s manufacturing programs are developed in conjunction with industry professionals, allowing our graduates to enter the workforce immediately. Recent studies performed by the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Association of Manufacturers show a need for workers trained in advanced manufacturing, and the demand is expected to grow as the manufacturing sector expands. Our training programs are up to date and range from 32-hour workshops to 500-hour in-depth programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials, certifications and apprenticeships. College credit toward an associate degree is awarded in specific programs. Our instructors can also deliver contract training at your facility.

Learn more about Cuyahoga Community College manufacturing programs here.

Learn more about Lakeland Community College manufacturing programs here.

Lorain County Community College prepares students for manufacturing careers of the future through tailored training in high-demand fields. LCCC offers more than 50 certificates and degrees in manufacturing and engineering programs most needed by local employers, including short-term certificates, applied associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees. LCCC is home to Ohio’s first applied bachelor’s degree in microelectronic manufacturing, as well as bachelor’s degrees from 14 Ohio universities through LCCC’s University Partnership program – all available on the LCCC campus. Programs include internships, apprenticeships and co-op opportunities customized with local employers. Students graduate prepared for the Future of Work and ready to thrive in Industry 4.0.

Learn about LCCC’s manufacturing and engineering programs here. 

Stark State College is your full-service workforce training partner!

As your workforce training partner, we provide:

• Hundreds of low cost, professionally led training course options in both credit and non-credit formats
• Registered Apprenticeship, Industrial training, and customizable employee skill training options available
• Access to education and training from stark State’s highly credentialed and industry seasoned faculty
• Variety of educational schedule and delivery options: onsite at your location, online, or one of Stark State’s convenient locations
• Over 40 years of partnering with business and industry to produce in-demand value added skill sets for students

Please visit our website or contact us directly at 330-494-6170. For non-credit or general workforce, click here.  For Engineering or Industrial Technology or apprenticeship programming, click here.

Early College, Early Career Program  

By building awareness in 10th grade, conducting skills training at local community colleges in 11th and 12th grades, then moving students into paid internships in 12th grade, the Early College, Early Career program (ECEC) promotes economic inclusion, increased career readiness, social equality with economic opportunity to all, and revitalized local communities through increasing employment and prosperity.

ECEC offers high school students the chance to directly experience manufacturing careers through skill-building activities and paid internships. Along the way, students earn college credit from our well-regarded community college partners (currently Tri-C and LCCC), manufacturing certifications, and even job offers. Upon graduation from high school, students will have the option to continue their education, continue working at their companies, or do both simultaneously.

High schoolers, here’s how it works:

• If you're selected for the program, a Northeast Ohio company will hire you for a paid internship 1-2 days per week.
• You’ll be trained on-site in state-of-the-art tools and machinery, all while earning college credit from Tri-C or LCCC.
• The company may then offer you a job after you graduate, depending on your performance and experience.

Interested? Click here to get in touch. 

Workforce Connect Manufacturing Sector Partnership 

MAGNET and the Greater Cleveland Partnership were named the intermediaries of the Cuyahoga County Manufacturing Sector Partnership in early 2019.  Initiated by the Workforce Funders Group, this initiative is an employer-owned, employer-led collaboration developed to attack the talent gap in Cuyahoga County manufacturing.  Most manufacturers in Cuyahoga county reporting that their growth is being hampered by a lack of skilled workers, MAGNET is playing a key role in bringing manufacturing leaders, workforce development organizations, and education institutions together to develop and execute the strategies that will help bring thousands of new people into manufacturing career paths over the next few years.

Interested in learning more or getting involved? Visit the Manufacturing Sector Partnership website to learn more.

Fast-Track Training Programs 

Fast-track training programs—and your talent pipeline—when your company owns workforce development.

A core piece of MAGNET’s mission is to ensure manufacturers have the skilled workers they need to grow. Part of that solution is to upskill existing workers, including people who are out of work, looking for a change, or just underemployed.

MAGNET is leading the development of numerous community college offerings that we call “fast-track training” for in-demand occupations, including CNC machining and welding. Sometimes referred to as “Right Skills Now,” the program started as a partnership between Tri-C and Swagelok. Since the inception of fast-track training at Swagelok in 2014, more than 100 students have been hired by Swagelok and other small employers. MAGNET has since scaled the program to Lorain County Community College and Stark State College. And in 2018, MAGNET partnered with nonprofit organizations in the Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland to pilot a neighborhood-specific training program for adult residents, resulting in five new jobs.

As fast-track trading programs scale across the region, it engages more employers in these new areas. The challenge is that, despite the availability of high-paying jobs, many seats are still available in these training programs. 

Contact MAGNET to learn more.

Ohio MEP Summer Internship Programs 

For the past several years, the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Summer Internship Program has leveraged the MEP Center network to place high school students in advanced manufacturing jobs, with success increasing year after year. In 2017 alone, 76 students from 31 Ohio high schools and tech/career centers were placed at 40 employers around the state. These students worked in high-demand, high-growth areas including precision machining, electrical trades, welding, manufacturing technology, industrial mechanics, automated manufacturing technology, CNC machining, computerized design and drafting, and material handling and receiving.

The program is expanded significantly in summer 2018, with the goal of placing over 150 students via the MEP Centers across the state. In the end, the Ohio MEP Summer Internship Program assists students and educators in establishing future employment connections; allows students to acquire valuable work experience, improve their soft skills, and advance their technical knowledge learned in the classroom; and provides employers with trained, prepared students to potentially join their future workforce.

Interested? Contact MAGNET or the Ohio MEP to learn more.