Why our region needs the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics

Right now, news of global and local supply chain disruptions abound — and the shortages faced by the manufacturing and logistics sectors aren't just physical products. Employers in these areas have unprecedented need for skilled workers and every incentive to offer jobs with competitive pay and benefits, yet there is too often a mismatch between the candidates they seek and the potential employees on the market. Despite these challenges, manufacturing remains a promising growth area: Over the last five years, northwest Ohio has seen 8,800 new jobs created and $4.7 billion invested in an industry increasingly critical to our regional economy, which currently boasts $40.52 billion in manufactured good exports and the largest concentration of robots in the United States. Workforce shortages shouldn't be the norm when the demand and the jobs are there, especially with the future of our economy at stake. That's why three of northwest Ohio's premier higher education institutions have joined together to help realize the future of our manufacturing and logistics sectors. In a historic collaboration, Bowling Green State University, Owens Community College and the University of Findlay are partnering to develop the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics. The center will provide workforce training programs that range from certifications and badges to degree-track curricula for associate, bachelor's and post-graduate degrees. We will also offer co-op, internship and applied research opportunities, enhanced by employer partnerships to identify and fill immediate, mid-term and long-term talent needs. In fact, the center will serve as a hub for regional educators and businesses, enabling participating institutions to gather data, respond to evolving needs and coordinate program delivery. This strategic direction will enhance the region's innovation output, impacting both education and business. Our primary goal is to dramatically increase the number of people interested in and preparing to have careers in manufacturing and logistics, meeting existing businesses' workforce demands and confirming northwest Ohio as a magnet for both employers and employees. The center is how our institutions — a public four-year university, a public two-year community college and a private four-year university — can realize that future. Together, we can produce a diverse, well-trained workforce with skills available from the entry level to specific specializations, and the region will benefit by leveraging the resources and skills of all three institutions in teaching, training and research for this important work. And this is important work indeed. Advanced manufacturing is and will continue to be vital to northwest Ohio's economy, and that opens up distinct career opportunities. These are high-tech, high-quality jobs with good wages — averaging nearly $80,000 annually — and members of such an upskilled workforce could better access the financial mobility and prosperity many families seek, across Hancock County and throughout the region. Beyond employer–employee alignment, the center is also a strategic economic win for our region. For every new manufacturing job that is created or retained, as many as five supporting jobs are also created at new and existing employers alike. With established and ongoing relationships among economic development organizations; local, state and federal agencies; trade and business associations; labor unions, nonprofit organizations and other relevant local actors, we're well positioned to launch focused trainings, degree programs and co-op experiences that can deliver the right people to the right jobs — all right here in northwest Ohio. It's time to abandon any last vestiges the factory job stereotype and embrace the future of manufacturing along with all it can do for our region and communities. From driving innovation in new industries to further uniting multisector partners, the center will help transform and even future-proof employment in the region. We invite you to follow our progress, and join us in building a brighter economic future for northwest Ohio. Rogers is president of Bowling Green State University, Somerville is president of Owens Community College; and Fell is president of the University of Findlay.