All Member Meeting at MAC Trailer

Thank you to MAC Trailer for a great kickoff meeting in Alliance!

We appreciate the team at MAC Trailer for hosting our recent meeting and providing an excellent lunch and facility tour. It was a great opportunity for members to network, share ideas, and see firsthand the innovation happening within one of Stark County’s leading manufacturers. We also enjoyed bringing members together in Alliance and continuing to build connections across our regional manufacturing community.

If your organization is interested in hosting a future meeting or providing a facility tour, we would love to hear from you.

Junior Achievement Career Fair Has Record Attendance!

Last week, more than 4,000 students from across our community gathered for the Junior Achievement of Northeastern Ohio Career Day, an exciting event designed to help students explore the many businesses and industries that drive economic growth across our region.

The Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership was proud to serve as a major sponsor, supporting an event that connects students with real-world career pathways and introduces them to opportunities right here in Stark County. Throughout the day, students had the chance to engage directly with employers, learn about different industries, and begin imagining what their own futures could look like.

Our booth featured a hands-on “Build the Tallest Tower” LEGO Challenge, which quickly became a favorite activity. Students eagerly jumped in to design, build, and test their towers—sparking creativity, friendly competition, and plenty of conversation. While the activity was fun, it also created a natural way to talk about the kinds of problem-solving, teamwork, design thinking, and engineering skills used every day in manufacturing careers.

Events like Career Day play an important role in helping young people see the possibilities that exist in our local economy and understand how their interests and talents can translate into meaningful careers.

A big thank you to Junior Achievement, the many business partners, educators, and volunteers who made the day possible. It was inspiring to see so many students engaged, curious, and excited about their future in Stark County.

SCMWDP Members participating in the JA Career Exploration Fair included:

1. Ohio Gratings, Inc.
2. Powell
3. MAGNET
4. Hendrickson
5. Ambaflex
6. Tractor Supply
7. Stark Truss
8. Metallus

Thank you for promoting manufacturing in Stark County!

Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership Receives OMA Endorsement

We are pleased to share that the Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership has been officially approved by the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association as an OMA-Endorsed Industry Sector Partnership (ISP) for the 2026–2028 endorsement cycle.

This designation recognizes the strong employer-led collaboration happening across our region and our alignment with the priorities of the Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Blueprint which can be accessed HERE. Industry Sector Partnerships play a critical role in bringing manufacturers together with education, workforce, and community partners to address talent pipeline challenges and strengthen Ohio’s manufacturing workforce.

This recognition reflects the leadership, participation, and commitment of our member companies and partners who continue to support initiatives that build workforce capacity and connect employers with the talent they need to grow.

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association will be providing a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining additional details and next steps, which will be shared with members once received.

K-12 Ambassador Program Coming Soon

Later this year we will be launching a brief training for best practices in youth engagement and mentorship. This is part of the statewide OMA effort to develop a Manufacturing Ambassador program by giving formal training and tools to those in the industry who interact with K-12 students. This will support and supplement the good work many of our manufacturers are already conducting across the community. Tools will include:

• Age appropriate facilitator guides by grade band (K-5, 6-8, 9-12)
• STEM project ideas
• Classroom presentations
• Job shadowing templates
• Much, much more

The tools were developed in alignment with Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and can assist school systems in their career connected learning reporting. Our goal is to provide certified training to a minimum of 6 individuals this year. Our Manufacturing Ambassador program will be coordinated with the good work Stark Education Partnership is conducting and with our school systems throughout the county.

2026 All Member Meeting Schedule

Meeting times are typically 11:00-noon meeting/presentation and noon-1:00 lunch/networking and tour.

If you want calendar invites as placeholders for all meetings, click here and we will send invites for ease of adding to your calendars.