The Mahoning Valley Manufacturing Coalition looks to get Trumbull ‘workforce ready’
The Mahoning Valley Manufacturing Coalition has announced a new pilot program teaming with a Warren city community group to get the younger population in Trumbull County “workforce ready.”
The coalition and the group called Warren Forward announced on Oct. 23 the start of WorkAdvance in Trumbull County.
Classes for this new venture will taken place beginning Nov. 27 at the Trumbull Community Action Program (TCAP) on Palmyra Road SW in Warren.
“TCAP is already a community resource. People come here for assistance and support. We felt like it was a good place to set up a new workforce program to help overcome obstacles in the future as a forward-thinking mentality,” said Alex Hertzer, the manufacturing coalition’s senior project manager.
This pilot program is set up like the WorkAdvance program that is already running in the city of Youngstown. It’s a paid, three-week bootcamp for young people that focuses on math refresher classes, technical training, introduction to manufacturing, job readiness training and career coaching.
Upon completion, participants will be directly connected with a local manufacturer for an interview.
When an economic development project was announced to bring manufacturing jobs to the westside of Warren, Lea Dotson of Warren Forward made the push to bring WorkAdvance to the community.
Dotson says it’s an attempt to make sure businesses have a qualified, trained workforce, strengthen relationships with underserved communities and generate economic development.
“In addition to individual benefits, we recognize the holistic implications. It encourages a sense of pride, ownership, solidarity and creating stronger, more resilient and self-sustaining neighborhoods that can thrive in the face of economic challenges,” Dotson said.
Warren Forward is a group that seeks to drive initiatives for the city and beyond. It partners with other organizations to make sure people are informed and engaged in community development.
Warren’s First Ward Councilman Todd Johnson, who is pastor at Second Baptist Church, says this generation has never known the reality of an abundance of jobs and just aren’t prepared yet.
“Most younger people and workers don’t know what happens at an Ultium or Foxconn, and the 60-some other employers that work with Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition. So, that’s the point of this program. It’s to bring them into job readiness and job familiarity so they can take part,” Johnson said.
Community outreach is the next step to recruit applicants. There will also be informational sessions about this pilot program at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2, 12:30 p.m. Nov. 4 and 5 p.m. on Nov. 27 at the TCAP center.
Applications can be made at www.WorkAdvanceohpenn.org.
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