Lorain County Community College and partners with Ohio TechNet, a higher education manufacturing and technology consortium sponsored by LCCC, have received $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to establish the Ohio TechNet Industrial Assessment Center, according to a press release.
The Industrial Assessment Center, which will be located at the LCCC in Elyria, will provide vocational training for manufacturing and related in-demand careers, including those related to the production of electric vehicles as well as batteries, chargers and semiconductors, the press release said.
The award is one of 21 new projects to receive $24 million from the bipartisan infrastructure bill to support the development of clean energy worker training programs — with a focus on jobs that do not require a four-year degree — through union training programs, community colleges and trade schools across the country, the release said.
“As states across the U.S. embark on a manufacturing shift toward processes that help small and medium-sized businesses save money while reducing energy waste, LCCC is proud to lead the workforce training in the cluster-specific, in-demand manufacturing occupations that will drive this shift,” LCCC President Dr. Marcia J. Ballinger said in the press release.
The proposed Industrial Assessment Center would focus on training in the sectors that are the driving force behind Ohio’s economy. Ohio’s top jobs list shows that over 27,000 new jobs in the manufacturing, installation and maintenance of electric vehicles, batteries and chargers will be created in the state by 2030, with more than half of those jobs in the manufacturing sector, the release said.
These jobs offer stable wages, opportunities for advancement and benefits for families, the press release states.
The Industrial Assessment Center will train students in the areas of energy efficiency and advanced manufacturing, the press release said.
In addition, two key services will be provided to small and medium-sized manufacturers in the region: skilled labor needs assessments and technical assistance based on the Ohio Manufacturing Competency Model, and smart manufacturing technical assistance using the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute’s Smart Manufacturing Acceleration Framework. Manufacturing Works, the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association and HHW Ohio will support project implementation in collaboration with a network of regional and state partners, the release said.
“(The Industrial Assessment Center) will provide customized solutions for (small and medium-sized manufacturers) as part of a novel approach to supporting sustainable or smart manufacturing,” said Terri Burgess Sandu, LCCC director of talent and business innovation, in the release. “This technical support for (small and medium-sized manufacturers) ranges from adopting smart manufacturing processes and technologies to talent planning for business growth.”
In addition to the Ohio TechNet partners, the following employers and employer associations have supported this project, including Aircraft Wheel and Brake LLC; DuPont; Lincoln Electric; Thogus Products Company; CESMII – Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute; SEMI Foundation; NextFlex – Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute; ARM Institute – Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing; and the Construction Employers Association, the press release states.
Labor, employee and community partners contributing to the project include OhioMeansJobs-Lorain County, OhioMeansJobs-Cuyahoga County, Fund for our Economic Future, Cleveland Builds, Cleveland State University EMDiS Entrepreneurial Manufacturer Digitization Support, Case Western Reserve University Smart Manufacturing Innovation Center, Team NEO and numerous community-based organizations.
