MOUNT VERNON – Over the course of the pandemic, manufacturers have faced a series of challenges but one of the most pressing is an unprecedented shortage of workforce.
In response to their search for talent, a coalition of Knox County manufacturers and the Knox County Workforce Development Alliance (WorkDev) created a career readiness program called Knox ASPECT, which is designed to prepare interested candidates for careers in manufacturing by teaching necessary skills for the industry.
The payoff for the participants is that any candidate who successfully completes the program will have a guaranteed job interview with 11 participating Knox County-based manufacturers, all of whom are seeking to hire for open positions.
The program has run twice before, and every candidate who has completed the program has been offered a career opportunity in manufacturing. The third round of Knox ASPECT begins on Sept. 13 and will conclude on Oct. 6. For more information and to apply for the program, visit the Knox Area Development Foundation website, KnoxADF.com.
“Workforce was a challenge before the pandemic, which has become more problematic,” said Chris Whiteley, quality assurance manager for Schafer Driveline. “Like other Knox County employers, we seek to establish new talent sources. Having been involved with the two prior rounds of Knox ASPECT, we were impressed with the candidates from the program. We are excited to participate again in a program that offers a solution to this issue in our community.”
The program will meet at Opportunity Knox twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
The program will focus on a variety of topics ranging from technical skills and safety to soft skills. A critical portion of the program is working with the candidates to sharpen their interviewing techniques, which will be taught by the Knox County Ohio Means Jobs team. Students will also take a strength-finding assessment to learn about their unique strengths and how those can apply to their careers.
The final nights of the program are dedicated to in-person interviews with the participating manufacturing companies.
The 11 Knox County-based employers who will participate in the program are (alphabetically):
● Ariel
● Burrows Packaging
● Coyne Graphics Finishing
● Diemaster, LLC
● Eagle Engineered Solutions
● Jeld Wen
● Kokosing
● Mauser Packaging Solutions
● Owens Corning
● Schafer Driveline
● Ver-Mac
Anyone interested in learning more about the program or joining the fall 2022 session should fill out the short application on KnoxADF.com.
“Manufacturing is Knox County’s largest sector and provides the fuel for our local economy, said Jeff Gottke, president of the Knox County Area Development Foundation. “Knox County is fortunate to have forward-looking local businesses and groups like WorkDev, who are working to find creative solutions to solve modern problems that will maintain our high standard of living.”
Knox County has hundreds of unfilled manufacturing jobs, drastically affecting an essential industry that comprises 22% of the County’s economy. Across Ohio manufacturing is the leading industry sector accounting for over $110 billion and over $43 billion in payroll, more than any other industry.
ASPECT aims to connect Knox County residents to high-quality manufacturing careers that are close to home.
The Knox ASPECT program is supported by the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Columbus State Community College (MEP at CSCC).
“The Ohio MEP program exists to support manufacturers as they grow and face challenges,” said Jeff Spain, director of the MEP at CSCC. “Workforce is a challenge that every manufacturer is facing. The opportunity to support a program like Knox ASPECT and create a talent pipeline for those manufacturers is exactly the kind of opportunity we were excited to support.”
