What do you get when passion for the skilled trades is mixed with a focus on finding people to work in manufacturing? The answer is Rust Belt Recruiting in Rocky River, just outside Cleveland.

The company recently celebrated its five-year anniversary. The owner, Taylor Evans, recognized the need for manufacturing workers and recruiting for those jobs. Evans grew up in what’s known as the Rust Belt but is familiar with the negative connotation often associated with it. He decided to do what he could to shine a positive light on the region.

What sparked the interest in manufacturing

He grew up in Reading, Pa., a southeastern city which is the fourth largest in the state, and much like Ohio, big in manufacturing. That’s what got Evans so interested in the industry. Evans says his dad was someone who read every book he could, and among the list, was a book of all the best colleges in the country.

That’s where Ohio University comes in – along with Evans’ tie to the Buckeye State.

“This school was always on my dad’s radar, and the first time I set foot on campus, I was in love,” Evans said.

It all comes back to Cleveland

After graduating from OU, he took a sales job with the Cleveland Cavaliers for a while, then worked for the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. In 2013, Evans left for the Texas Sports Commission, in Austin, but left his heart in Cleveland.

“Four months before I left town, I met my now wife, who was a single mom at the time, and we dated at a distance for two years,” Evans said.

He joked about his coworkers teasing him because he spent more time talking about Cleveland than Austin – which he was being paid to promote! Evans returned to the Cleveland area in 2015 and has been here ever since.

Making connections that count

The general landscape is changing for manufacturing, and Rust Belt Recruiting wants a hand in renewing the region, including the Mahoning Valley. Digital marketing coordinator Annie Maglicic says the company wants to connect manufacturers to their most essential resource – a growing workforce.

“We’re passionate about skilled trades and how valuable careers are in those fields. We make sure candidates are getting placed and companies are getting quality people working for them. It’s all about giving people the tools they need and leaving them in a better place,” Maglicic said.

Right now, Rust Belt Recruiting has 12 employees and mainly does business in the Midwest. There are also some clients in the southeast. Maglicic says recruiters focus on staffing full-time jobs and not temporary ones. The idea is to get more people in long-term positions.

“The company started with hiring mostly for production roles in manufacturing, but we also get some requests for more senior roles like engineers,” Maglicic said.

She says sometimes recruiters have in-person meetings with companies to get a better handle on what’s needed. The owner is also hands-on in creating relationships with those looking to do business with Rust Belt Recruiting.

The company is also challenging the familiar narrative that people don’t want to work. Maglicic says it’s not true, and people do want jobs.

“In a way, we’re helping to restructure businesses to reach the modern workforce. In turn, we’re helping jobseekers keep a broad focus but maybe narrowing down what they excel at, so they find the best fit,” Maglicic said.

Why join MVMC?

With sights set on growth, and manufacturing a priority, it makes sense for Rust Belt Recruiting to become a member of the MVMC. Evans hopes to contribute to the ongoing revitalization of the industry. Although the company isn’t a typical member, he wants to build connections with businesses and employees to assist them with their needs.

“I saw an opportunity to build a premium recruiting agency focused on one of our country’s greatest needs – the industrial workforce. We focus our time and effort on recruiting workers motivated to impact the companies they work for and support companies that view employees as an asset and treat them as such,” Evans said.

Any business or organization paying attention to employees and the health of an operation should be discussing job quality. What’s good for one company might not work for another. It’s a task that continues to change along with the workforce.

On March 16, the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition hosted a job quality roundtable with at least 45 participants featuring Rebecca Kusner. She’s a workforce development connector, strategist, and advocate in Northeast Ohio. She founded R4 Workforce, which is a consulting firm just outside Cleveland, Ohio. Kusner presented in the area about two years ago, and the MVMC felt it was important to bring her back for updated research and thoughts on the topic.

Evolving definition of job quality

Kusner started the presentation by asking participants what job quality meant to them. Answers included high value, high pay, safety (both physical and mental), work-life balance, team environment and opportunity for learning. She was pleased to hear safety mentioned because she feels it can often be overlooked.

She points out there’s no single definition or standard that works for everyone, but it must be about the overall framework for job quality. She used an entry-level job as an example. It might have a lower pay standard, but that doesn’t make the position a “bad” starting point. It’s about making each job the best it can be for employees.

“I’m becoming less enamored with the word ‘job quality’ for two reasons: One, because it’s so variable. Two, because it makes it just about the job when it’s about team, culture and other things. You’re not going to make a place better by fixing one job,” Kusner said. “I’m trying to figure out what is the right word. You’ll hear about job design, workplace strategies, and job quality is easy at this point because that’s what people have been hearing about,” she added.

Kusner also feels it has a negative connotation, or that it reflects something bad, when that’s not always the case.

“It’s just the term given to this whole cluster of things that influences an individual’s connection to work,” Kusner said.

The future of work is now

Kusner notes the increasing economic polarization, more virtual interaction and automation in the workforce. She says businesses and organizations need to have programs, systems, interventions, conversations and an ecosystem that responds to the future in the workplace.

She believes companies need to react in new ways to the issues present in the field. She acknowledges that in some cases the challenge is money coming from the government and philanthropic programs that have their own ideas of how things need to be done.

“Job quality work fits in the future of workforce development; how we think about the intersection of people and work, and what we do about it. We can choose how to support companies and workers,” Kusner said.

Facing disparities and DEI

Kusner showcased another changing factor in the Mahoning Valley when it comes to jobs. She said there’s been more skills-based hiring going on, as well as more worker voice and worker power movements happening.

“There’s the notion of equity and inclusion and seeing disparities in the workforce, access to opportunity and how we address equity and inclusion. It’s certainly needing to be part of this emerging workforce,” Kusner said.

She says when employers ask to see what potential hires can do, then focus on those competencies, it automatically helps with DEI.

Navigating a multigenerational workforce

Many companies have a multigenerational workforce, and job quality can mean something different to each one.

“It’s something I’ve seen highlighted a great deal in conversations with younger workers. They will show up and work, but they need to be valued and appreciated for everything they are and not just their work product,” Kusner said.

Vallourec North America Talent Management Director Chris Allen sees the dynamic talking to workers at the Youngstown plant.

“The needs are different from generation to generation. Older generations do the job and don’t have many questions. Others need to have more feeling put into the job and be told they’re doing well,” Allen said.

Kusner emphasizes Allen’s effort to talk with employees and how important it is for management to know the issues going on and how dynamics change. She feels this plays a major role in having a quality workplace.

Improvement tools

Kusner believes companies want to make progress when it comes to job quality. She also recognizes, for some, it’s no easy task.

“There are good companies out there that don’t have the knowledge, resources or support to do all of this. I don’t want this to seem like they’re doing a lousy job,” Kusner said.

She recommends online assessment tools to get the ball rolling. Talent Rewire’s opportunity navigator helps employers understand where they excel and where change is necessary to create a more inclusive workplace. Then, results are sent with resources to take tangible actions for improvement.

“It’s all about starting somewhere, and online assessments are practical, actionable and easy,” Kusner said.

The main lobby of the Compco office in Columbiana proudly displays plaques honoring its employees who have served in the Armed Forces.

About 10% of Compco employees are Veterans, according to Katy Mumaw, corporate director of sales and marketing.

The Veterans display remains up year-round and has been there for about 10 years. Each employee-Veteran is pictured along with their “Strengths” and service history.

Manufacturing careers and retired servicemen and women often go hand in hand, says Rick Kamperman, manager of product and process development, and Veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

For Veterans in need of a job after their military career, there are plenty of opportunities in the Mahoning Valley for work in manufacturing.

Compco, a manufacturer of various types of tank heads, is particularly popular with Veterans. Kamperman believes this is due to the problem-solving nature of the projects the company works on.

“One of the mottos from the Marine Corps is ‘adapt, improvise and overcome,’ and that’s a lot of what we do. We work with our customers, they come up with a problem, and we come up with solutions,” Kamperman said.

A career in manufacturing can provide the same fast-paced, solution-based days that military work consists of.

“In manufacturing there are many facets that come along. There’s always problem solving,” Kamperman said.

These aspects of the job are what remind him of his work in the Marine Corps.

Greg Smith, Compco Chairman of the Board, says he is very passionate about incorporating Veterans into the Compco team and honoring them. His philosophy is shared throughout the organization.

“Compco has an ‘Honor Coin’ that is awarded to the men and women who have served to thank them for their service; with Compco’s logo on one side and symbols representing different branches of service on the other,” Mumaw said.

MVMC’s funds are part of a $23.5 million grant awarded to the Ohio Manufacturers Association for a 3-year workforce development action plan focused on recruiting and upskilling manufacturing workers across the state.

Youngstown, Ohio (Aug. 3, 2022) – The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition is in line to receive $930,000 over the next three years as part of The Ohio Manufacturers Association’s (OMA) $23,492,808 award from the Economic Development Administration’s American Rescue Plan Act Good Jobs Challenge program, which was announced today.

OMA is the lead applicant and system lead entity – and one of 32 programs out of 509 applicants throughout the country – to receive a portion of $500 million in federal funds aimed at getting Americans back to work by strengthening workforce partnerships that lead to good-paying jobs.

MVMC is among OMA’s network of manufacturing industry sector partnerships throughout the state that will receive funding from this grant to carry out specific recruiting and upskilling components of OMA’s workforce development action plan in the Mahoning Valley.

“This investment will enable us to continue the momentum created through our WorkAdvance program, Ohio To Work, apprenticeship and other upskilling efforts,” said Jessica Borza, MVMC executive director. “It will also allow us to continue our grassroots outreach and build upon partnerships with the Regional Chamber, National Center for Urban Solutions, SOD Center, Ohio Technical Centers, Eastern Gateway Community College and other local entities.”

50,000+ annual job openings over next 36 months

More than 1,600 manufacturers comprise OMA’s statewide ISP network, including 120 that submitted letters of commitment to source new hires from this initiative. In total, these employers indicated a demand for 25,000+ hires in the next five years at an annual wage of $17.60/hour, which reflects the prevailing wages for the initiative’s targeted in-demand occupations of machining, production, welding, industrial maintenance, and automation and robotics.

In total, these targeted occupations are projected to have 50,000+ annual openings and 150,000 openings in the next 36 months in Ohio.

Targeting underrepresented populations across Ohio’s communities

OMA’s initiative prioritizes on Ohio’s 32 Appalachian communities, the eight largest urban counties, and underrepresented groups among the manufacturing workforce including people of color, women, veterans and returning citizens.

In response to regional needs and the needs of the target populations, the ISPs will be led to execute an evidence-based Entry-Level Learn-and Earn (ELLE) modeled after MVMC’s WorkAdvance program to prepare a future workforce. The strategy, which gives employers the opportunity to build a workforce trained to their specific needs, includes recruiting, pre-screening, preparing job skills training, onboarding, and ongoing support and job coaching components.

“Ultimately, the Good Jobs Challenge grant will lay the groundwork for exponential, ongoing impacts beyond the 36-month grant period by operationalizing sustainable new training programs, formalizing referral partnerships, accelerating ISPs’ momentum, and building underrepresented communities’ interest in manufacturing careers,” said Ryan Augsburger, OMA president.