Month: March 2022

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Media Coverage

Job seekers and employers linked at Youngstown Works job fair

Within the first half hour of a five-hour job fair, Vallourec was scheduling candidates for job interviews for the next day.

“We had openings for condensed-session interviews, and those spots were filled almost immediately,” said Elizabeth Aukerman, Vallourec talent acquisition specialist.

Vallourec was among 70 entities from the Mahoning Valley, including MVMC members, to participate in the Youngstown Works inaugural hiring event.

Dave Macek, human resources business partner at Vallourec, talks with two job seekers during a hiring event in Youngstown.

Finding employees

Youngstown Works is a consortium of employers and educational partners spearheaded by MyPath Mahoning Valley.

More than 200 job seekers attended. Some interviewed on the spot and others started the application process.

Bringing employers and schools together for the hiring event is one approach when finding employees, said Julie Michael Smith, MVMC project manager.

“Reaching job seekers has been diverse, through hiring events, social media and referrals,” she said.

Job seekers can also talk with companies one-on-one about what to expect at facilities when they connect at job fairs.

For manufacturing, many people think they have a sense of what the industry is, “an outdated misconception” that every facility is dark, loud and filled with back-breaking work.

“It’s completely changed” with emerging technology and updating facilities coming into play, Smith said.

Rethinking the workplace

Peoples’ expectations about work have changed, too.

There has been “lots of turnover” over the last couple of years, as people have reevaluated what they’ve been doing at the workplace.

“Now, people are looking to reskill” and even train for something new, Smith said.

A recruiter talks with students.
Nichole Noday, a human resources generalist with Ultium Cells, LLC, left, talks with East High School juniors Carlos Gonzalez, Tyreek West and Eddie Pierce.

To help job seekers connect with careers in manufacturing, technology and health care, MVMC serves as operations manager for the Ohio To Work Mahoning Valley program, which runs through 2022.

“Ohio To Work is an opportunity to focus on showing job seekers what manufacturing is today,” Smith said.

For more information on Ohio To Work hiring events, contact Smith at julie@mahoningvalleymfg.com.

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Member Manufacturers

City Machine Technologies, others team up on Kids Career Fair

Through a local partnership, children were introduced to manufacturing as they spent time learning hands-on what it means to be part of the industry.

During the Kids Career Fair held at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center, manufacturer member City Machine Technologies, Inc. and Oh Wow! The Roger and Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technolog presented an early afternoon of encouraging children and their parents to consider workforce development as they get older.

During the Kids Career Fair, youngsters participated in hands-on activities to show what manufacturing is about. Pictured, two girls demonstrate the extruding process with Play-Doh at the MVMC booth.

“This is a great opportunity to introduce students and their families to what modern manufacturing is,” said Allison Engstrom, project manager for MVMC.

“Our goal at MVMC is to find ways to bring people into the manufacturing industry, and one of the ways we are doing that is through youth outreach, where we promote conversations with children about their future,” Engstrom said.

Over the course of four hours, 1,000 people attended, visiting not only CMT, but also the exhibits from fellow MVMC members Vallourec and Marsh Bellofram.

Each table offered information, hands-on fun and a presentation about various roles in manufacturing.

There were more than 40 organizations and career tech programs from around the Mahoning Valley who set up booths and presentations, showing different career paths available.

At MVMC’s booth, about 200 children – mostly elementary and middle school students – rolled up their sleeves and used Play-Doh to learn about extruding.

To discuss ways to build community outreach programs, contact Engstrom at allison@mahoningvalleymfg.com.