Welcome aboard: NEO manufacturing companies open doors to diverse talent

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It was no accident that the Manufacturing Growth Advocacy Network (MAGNET) chose Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood for its new headquarters in 2022.

The 53,000-square-foot facility—designed to showcase modern manufacturing—is surrounded by approximately 2,500 small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies that are in need of fresh talent.

With manufacturing worldwide facing historically low unemployment rates—the U.S. rate was 3.1% in June—local industrial companies continue to need workers.

Aram Nerpouni, MAGNET’s managing director of talentAram Nerpouni, MAGNET’s managing director of talentHiring people of color, women, and other historically excluded populations simply makes sense, notes Aram Nerpouni, MAGNET’s managing director of talent.

To that end, Greater Cleveland has made progress in bringing minorities into the manufacturing fold, Nerpouni says. Per data from MAGNET’s first Blueprint Report Card released in May, about 2,000 people of color have entered the sector in the past two years. What’s more, the region saw an 80% jump in women and minorities in manufacturing leadership positions.

Pandemic-spurred workforce declines, coupled with the upcoming mass retirement of baby boomers, has forced the sector to broaden its recruitment strategy. “Companies cannot simply fill their roles with low-end jobs in the face of elevated industry turnover,” says Nerpouni.

“People know there are openings into career pathways, and more minorities are being put through the system,” he says. “That’s a lot of great candidates in manufacturing who previously didn’t have access.”

MAGNET is among numerous area organizations providing marginalized individuals with on-ramps to potentially lucrative careers. For instance, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is partnering with the advocacy group on its Early College, Early Career (ECEC) program, which places employment-focused high-schoolers into industries like advanced manufacturing.

Although ECEC targets entry-level positions, the program is also keen on retaining employees. Nerpouni says shop floor jobs that paid $12 to $14 an hour a few years ago now offer $17 to $18 per hour, while new workers can advance from machine operations to overseeing a team of machinists within 18 months.

“We’re not at the endpoint by any means, but there’s a broad understanding of what’s necessary to recruit the amount of talent that manufacturing needs,” Nerpouni says. “[Manufacturing companies] are creating more interest among women or connecting with untapped populations like veterans and people of color. They’re creating a culture where people feel part of a team—there’s lots of progress there.”

Companies are always on the hunt for welders, machinists, and assemblers skilled at constructing everything from cabinetry to electronic devices.Companies are always on the hunt for welders, machinists, and assemblers skilled at constructing everything from cabinetry to electronic devices.An exciting career option

Companies are always on the hunt for welders, machinists, and assemblers skilled at constructing everything from cabinetry to electronic devices. Workers also receive on-the-job training for advanced supervisory and engineering positions—an ideal option for students uninterested in a traditional education, says Danielle Caldwell, a community, college and career center coordinator at CMSD.

Collaborations with local manufacturers like Diamond Metals Distribution in Bellaire-Puritas are busting myths about an industry that’s not the dank and dirty environment of decades past, says Caldwell.

And not all future manufacturing work will be done by robots, as she says some of her students believe.

“You’re looking at a livable-wage career field that’s available after graduation, as opposed to going to a four-year college,” Caldwell argues. “There’s a heavy need for humans and what humans can do.”

For CMSD, the journey starts with a tour of MAGNET’s on-site interactive museum. Young visitors get hands-on experience with collaborative robots and other Industry 4.0 technology, along with the latest in high-tech training and career opportunities.

CMSD is developing a school-to-jobs pipeline with its immediate neighbors. Diamond Metals, for example, is located a few blocks away from John Marshall High School. Caldwell says the practice of hiring minority students has a cumulative effect that dismantles stereotypes and ignites interest within the next generation of talent.

“If you don’t see people at a company that look and talk like you, you won’t envision yourself there,” she says. “These companies want fresh minds they can train and mold. So, let’s build partnerships for internships, work-based studies, and training throughout the school year.”

A matter of survival

Two recent announcements highlight Ohio’s ongoing growth as a manufacturing hotbed, notes MAGNET’s Nerpouni.

He cites Intel’s new semiconductor facility in Licking County, which is projected to bring thousands of high-paying jobs to the Buckeye State, as one example, while another example is an EV manufacturing plant in Tuscarawas County that will put the region on the leading edge of automotive technology.

Collaborations with local manufacturers like Diamond Metals Distribution in Bellaire-Puritas are busting myths about an industry that’s not the dank and dirty environment of decades pastCollaborations with local manufacturers like Diamond Metals Distribution in Bellaire-Puritas are busting myths about an industry that’s not the dank and dirty environment of decades pastArea manufacturing titans such as Swagelok and Lincoln Electric always need workers, but job seekers shouldn’t forget the region’s abundance of smaller businesses, says Nerpouni.

Intentionality around minority leadership is becoming another hallmark of regional manufacturing. E.C. Kitzel & Sons hired a Latino chief operating officer set to take ownership of the Parma-based tooling business in the next few years. The succession plan reflects Kitzel’s diverse staff—a workforce comprising of Black employees along with a transgender team member.

Everyone needs to start somewhere, meaning businesses must reach out to diverse populations—not only minorities, but women and the formerly incarcerated, as well, Nerpouni says, Ultimately, undertaking this task will be an existential proposition for the industry.

“It’s good for businesses and manufacturing overall to be broad thinking as they can when recruiting,” he says. “It’s driven by need because if you decide not to recruit from a diverse pipeline, it will be hard to fill all of your positions.”

Douglas J. Guth
Douglas J. Guth

About the Author: Douglas J. Guth

Douglas J. Guth is a Cleveland Heights-based freelance writer and journalist. In addition to being senior contributing editor at FreshWater, his work has been published by Crain’s Cleveland Business, Ideastream, and Middle Market Growth. At FreshWater, he contributes regularly to the news and features departments, as well as works on regular sponsored series features.