Industry Led.
Demand Driven.
Data Informed.

manufacturing ISP

Manufacturing has been the heart and soul of our community for many years, positioning the Greater Akron area and Northeast Ohio as a competitive regional economy and global player. Our goal is to ensure companies have access to the talent they need to remain competitive and grow. We support manufacturing leaders to collaborate with education and training partners to design a curriculum that prepares people with relevant in-demand skills for good paying jobs that lead to great careers.

Workforce partners collaborate to connect people with job opportunities and training. Working together, partners generate solutions to align the talent supply chain and remove barriers to employment.

Key Strategies

people meeting

Dispel stigmas about manufacturing

Young man with a wrench

Build the high school career pipeline, expanding the K-12 career tech pipeline

wrench turning a gear

Generate awareness of manufacturing career opportunities and in-demand skills training

See Our Work in Action

Innovation and Creativity with a Purpose

Manufacturing innovates to create and produce PPE to support the health care industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Talent Ecosystem Success

Industry partners work together to educate and train students to find career success in local manufacturing companies. 

Get Involved

Meet Ups – Zoom meeting for manufacturing companies to discuss business concerns and challenges as well as resources and best practices.

Manufacturing Sector Partnership Meetings – All partners with a vested interest in the talent pipeline for manufacturing come together to work on initiatives developed by the Action Teams and identify how, when, and by whom the work will be done.

Action Team Meetings – Action Teams focus on a specific goal and develop initiatives to achieve those goals.

Calendar icon

Meetings

Partnership Meeting:

February 1, 2024

Meet Up:

Last Friday of the month via Teams

Jean Barbato, Project Manager

Jean Barbato

Senior Manager, Manufacturing Sector Partnership

Get In Touch

Contact Jean to learn how to get involved in this exciting and unique opportunity to help you solve your workforce challenges. ConxusNEO can connect you to the appropriate training provider offering the earn-and-learn opportunities, curriculum, and credentials you need.

Contact Us

Current Initiatives

  • Hire Power – 2023 Training Series for Manufacturers

    5-part Training Series for HR and Marketing Professionals

    We know hiring continues to be tough for employers. This five-session series is designed to help both HR and marketing professionals strengthen your company’s hiring power. Every session will be supplemented with additional tips to help you develop a solid hiring strategy in today’s modern (and distracted) environment to connect with potential hires.

    September 20, 2023 – Improve your hiring through marketing
    October 19, 2023 – Using digital advertising to target job candidates
    November 17, 2023 – The importance of storytellling in hiring
    January 24, 2024 – Creating your marketing plan for hiring
    February 22, 2024 – Measuring the success of your efforts

    All events are offered at no charge to participants and will take place from 8:30am to 10am at 388 S. Main St., Akron. For additional information, please contact Jean Barbato at jbarbato@conxusneo.jobs.

    RSVP here.

  • US Economic Development Administration Good Jobs Challenge Grant

    ConxusNEO is an OMA-endorsed sector partnership that was awarded the Summit/Portage region’s portion of the U.S. Economic Development Administration Good Jobs Challenge grant. 

    U.S. Economic Development Administration Good Jobs Challenge
    This grant is intended to provide training for entry-level positions and upskilling of workers for advancement opportunities. The grant budget provides support services (like childcare and transportation) to remove systemic barriers for potential workers and utilizes the “WorkAdvance” model which provides career coaching from pre-hire to 12 months post-hire.

    ConxusNEO is one of 13 sector partnerships across the state of Ohio collaborating on this $25 million grant.

    Review here what was shared with the community.

    Request for Quotes due November 29, 2023

  • US Department of Labor Scaling Apprenticeship Grant

    ConxusNEO is an OMA-endorsed sector partnership that was awarded the Akron/Canton region’s portion of the U.S. Department of Labor Scaling Apprenticeship grant. 

    U.S. Department of Labor Scaling Apprenticeship
    This grant is intended to increase the number of training programs offering industry-recognized credentials, the number of people earning credentials, and the number of manufacturers employing people with credentials.

    ConxusNEO is one of 12 sector partnerships across the state of Ohio collaborating on this $12 million grant. The purpose of this grant is to help alleviate some of the issues around the shortage of skilled workers in the manufacturing industry by expanding the number of “earn-and-learn” programs run by manufacturing employers and the number of employee participants in these programs.

  • The Importance of Industry-Recognized Credentials

    The requirement for nationally portable, industry-recognized credentials is an essential element for earn-and-learn projects under the Scaling Apprenticeships grant. The credentials provide third-party verification of an individual’s competence that will be recognized anywhere in the country. They can take many forms, including certifications, certificates, licenses, and degrees.

  • Sector Partnership Resources

    Ohio’s TechCred Program

    Ohio’s TechCred Webinar

    Recovery Friendly Workplace

    Scaling Apprenticeships Guide

    Scaling Apprenticeships Video

    Skills Commons
    FREE and OPEN Workforce Training Materials for 21st Century Employment. Users can customize the materials, including rebranding, to meet their requirements.

    The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association

Sector Partners

  • Employers

    Akron Tool & Die

    Americhem

    Arconic/Howmet Aerospace

    Ariel

    ATA Tools

    Aurora Plastics

    BWXT

    Delta Systems

    Esterle Mold & Machine Company

    Excelsior Marking

    Ferriot

    Flohr Machine

    GED Integrated Solutions

    GOJO Industries, Inc.

    Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, The

    JR Wheel

    Juzo

    Kent Displays

    Kyocera SGS Precision Tools

    Landmark Plastics

    Little Tikes

    LMT Hartville

    Mac LTT

    Main Street Gourmet

    Malco Products, Inc.

    Mantaline

    NMG Aerospace

    Pneumatic Scale

    Prospect Mold

    Roechling Automotive USA, LLP

    Schaeffler

    Selas Heat Technologies

    Sherex

    SSP Fittings

    Steere

    Step2 Company

    Timken Steel

    TPC Wire & Cable

    Tri Cast Ltd.

    Viking Forge

    Worthington Industries

  • Educators

    Akron Public Schools

    College Now

    Cuyahoga Valley Career Center

    Four Cities Compact

    Gene Haas Foundation

    Stark State College

    The University of Akron

    Twinsburg High School

    Wayne County Schools Career Center

  • Community & Government Organizations

    Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority

    Akron Urban League

    Akron-Summit County Public Library

    Goodwill Industries

    Healing Hearts

    HER Beautiful Mind

    Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG)

    Project LEARN

    South Street Ministries

    The Well CDC

    TRY (Truly Reaching You)

    United Way of Summit and Medina

    Haas Factory Outlet

    Metro Regional Transit Authority

    OhioMeansJobs

    Portage Development Board

    Workforce Development Board of Summit & Medina