The need is real. The country faces serious shortages of career and technical education (CTE) workers, including those in health care, IT, culinary, automotive, machining, construction and manufacturing. Here is just one example:

“If every single kid who graduated from high school decided to go into manufacturing, it still wouldn’t fill all the available jobs because the Baby Boomer generation is so large. The Silver Tsunami is leaving sooner than anticipated and all that institutional knowledge that was passed on is going out the door,” says Beth Dawson, director, Apprentice Program, for Manufacturing Works, pointing to a projection that by 2033, the manufacturing sector will need nearly 3.8 million new employees.

(Manufacturing Works is a community of manufacturers in the region. The economic development organization’s mission is to grow and strengthen manufacturing across Northeast Ohio.)

Dawson considers workforce development to be a vital part of “strengthening the manufacturing industry.” She points to student pre-apprenticeships and registered apprenticeships as vital contributions toward a solution. Dawson also credits Lorain County JVS as an important player in providing CTE employees and pre-apprenticeships to the region. But the school, she says, has gone even one positive step further.

“JVS has demonstrated a true commitment to their students. That’s because when they are placing them in internships, the school is having conversations with manufacturers and saying, ‘It’s great that you want this student to come work for you. But will you also be committed to continuing their career pathway beyond graduation through a registered apprenticeship program?’ That creates more opportunities for those students,” explains Dawson.

Dawson, who has been with Manufacturing Works for 4 years, says she thinks LCJVS is able to “leverage” the fact that employers want well-prepared students like those the school graduates. 

One way companies can do that is by encouraging employees to continue their education at Lorain County Community College. A leader in workforce training, LCCC partners with more than 800 local employers to ensure its education pathways align with company needs.

Included among those partners is Absolute Machine Tools in Lorain. The company has been importing and selling CNC machinery for 35 years and, when ramping up its turnkey automation and robotics departments, encouraged LCJVS graduate Emily Graven to enroll in LCCC’s then-newly launched Bachelor of Applied Science in Smart Industrial Automated Systems Engineering Technology. Graven started with Absolute Machine Tools as an intern while attending LCJVS and, with her advanced learning, has emerged as an employee capable of helping drive the company’s automation-focused future.

“Emily is learning stuff that we are literally in the middle of working on right now with our customers. She’s learning exactly what we need her to learn, so it’s immediate payback,” says David Zunis, the company’s director of service & applications engineering.

LCJVS also has a good relationship with Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) and its Apprenticeship Hub.

“We have had the opportunity to work with Lorain County JVS, Lorain County Community College, and other schools and organizations by providing technical assistance to support their pre-apprentice registration with ApprenticeOhio, a division of the Ohio Departments of Jobs and Family Services that approves all pre-apprenticeship programs within the state,” according to Emma Maloney, GCP, workforce navigator, Apprenticeship Hub.    

While the number of students entering pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships has increased, Dawson also believes an even better job can be done by organizations such as hers, schools and community leaders to educate students and their parents about the world of manufacturing and the value of registered apprenticeships.

LCCC and LCJVS leadership agree.

“Gone are the days of the dark and dingy manufacturing floors,” says Kelly Zelesnik, dean of Engineering, Business and Information Technologies at LCCC. “Manufacturing is changing alongside AI, automation and robotics, and other innovations. Students within these sectors are in high demand and we need to ensure they know what the industry really looks like today, and what it’ll look like tomorrow.”

Dawson also hopes to continue to diversity the workforce, opening huge opportunities for many not historically a part of this work segment. She also says compensation in the manufacturing field is sometimes a surprise to parents and students. Consider this: the average annual salary in manufacturing is $70,000.

The need is real. And so are the program and partnerships that will help Lorain County lessen the workforce shortages it faces. And with an average salary in manufacturing of $70,000, the opportunity exists for individuals looking for a lifelong career with room to advance.

The JVS niche is its focus on high school students — it reaches talented young adults at an early age and lights a spark by giving them hands-on experience in fields that were simply not around 20-30 years ago. It provides education for the future and solves workforce needs in this county at the same time.

  With organizations such as Lorain County Community College, LCJVS, Manufacturing Works and a broad network of employer partners all working together to solve the workforce shortage, things are looking positive for the future of manufacturing in Northeast Ohio. “I have no doubt that we will be able to meet employer’s needs — the talent exists in our community, we simply need to continue providing relevant and future-forward training,” says Zelesnik.

LCJVS Pre-apprenticeship Program

Lorain County JVS is committed to expanding work-based learning (WBL) opportunities for all students, with a specific focus on non-traditional pathways. By offering pre-apprenticeship (WBL) programs, it is empowering students to gain hands-on experience and earn industry credentials while still in high school — accelerating Ohio’s workforce and creating economic mobility.

You’ll often see LCJVS students proudly displaying the logos of well-known Northeast Ohio companies on their attire, a testament to the real-world experiences they’re gaining through its career-tech programs.

“The students wear their companies swag at school,” says Mathias Hauck, LCJVS career services and workforce development strategist. They become ingrained in the company’s culture and are proud of their job placement.

The goal of the LCJVC pre-apprenticeship (WBL) program “is to prepare and fuel our students with the necessary skills, knowledge and work-based learning opportunities to enter a registered apprenticeship program,” according to Hauck, who has been with LCJVS for 19 years. Students learn technical skills in the classroom and gain real workplace experience with an employer who will hopefully hire them upon graduation and support them as they continue their education in a registered apprenticeship program.

LCJVS’s State Recognized Pre-apprenticeship Programs align with the skills needs of employers in the Ohio economy, gives hands-on meaningful learning experiences and connects the student to local Registered Apprenticeship Programs. “The apprenticeship model is top priority of the Dewin-Husted administration, and LCJVS is aligning with the state’s focus and strategies,” expresses Hauck.

He adds, “Pre-apprenticeships aligns with our system-wide strategy…centered around three E’s. First, Engage our community and recruit our county’s finest resources — Career and Technical Minded Students, Industry Professionals and Strategic Stakeholders. Next, Equip our students with cutting-edge, rigorous and relevant career and technical education — preparing our youth and adults for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill and high-demand careers. And third, Empower our graduates with the knowledge and training necessary to succeed in future careers, to become lifelong learners, mentor future LCJVS students, and be agents of change in their homes and communities.”

Generally, students in the pre-apprenticeship program complete four courses that align with a registered apprenticeship program. That allows the students to enter into a Registered Apprenticeship Program with up to one-year credit. “That means our students will have seniority, a higher pay scale level and less school work to do because they have already completed up to one year. It’s a huge advantage for LCJVS students,” notes Hauck.

During their first exposure to the real-world workplace, students are often introduced to a company’s culture, soft skills training and situations that require them to grow in maturity and responsibility. (Research suggests that hard skills alone are insufficient for professional success due to day’s changing dynamic workplace. Soft skills include public speaking, professional attitude and problem solving.) Students also have the opportunity to become summer interns with their company. The interns are able to work full-time during the summer and gain the “experience of being a productive member of the workforce,” according to Hauck. In 2024, 100 student interns who worked at 95 local businesses earned $379,00 and chalked up 27,407 hours of work-based learning experience. “These students are ahead of the curve. They work for a company over the summer, come back to school and then start our early job-placement program,” he says. “This is not just training students for entry level jobs. They are leaving our school with life-changing careers.”

In addition, the most recent Ohio School Report Card, released by the Ohio Department of Education, awarded LCJVS four-and-a-half stars for its graduation rate. The school also received four stars for its career and post-secondary readiness component, and five stars for the post-program outcomes and how well students transition after completing high school. Pre-apprenticeship programs are offered in the Digital Innovations’ Tech program, Health Care, Culinary Arts, Manufacturing and Project Life, a multi-year program tailored for individuals with disabilities mastering skills for adult independence and for students learning to adjust to independent living. Additional programs will likely be added in the future.

Current combined junior and senior enrollment includes: Manufacturing (including Engineering Design and Technology, Precision Machine Technology, Welding and Fabrication and PLTW Engineering – 123 students; Healthcare (including Allied Health Sciences and Sports, Health and Fitness Technology) – 78 students; IT (includes Cybersecurity and Networking) – 38 students; and Culinary Arts (including Baking and Pastry Arts and Culinary.

Last year, which was the pre-apprenticeship program’s pilot year for the Precision Machine Technology program, 18 out of 18 students earned certificates of pre-apprenticeship. All 18 were hired at the school’s Hiring Day event. Employers offered an average pay that was more than $25 an hour, with $38.50 being the highest. This year, the pre-apprenticeship program includes nine career tech programs. The continued and expanded success of LCJVS’ pre-apprenticeship programs depends not so much on a lack of talent, but a lack of connectiveness, according to Hauck. He encourages more companies to become involved. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about our programs and how we can connect you with talent solutions.

Hauck considers the companies that are engaged presently to be at the “top” of their fields. LCJVS “relies heavily on our business partnerships to help set curriculum and quality program standards,” he says, so students are equipped with the skills they need to succeed in their industry and Ohio's economy. Companies that partnered with the LCJVS in the pilot year for the Precision Machine Technology program include: A.J. Rose, Swagelok, General Plug and Manufacturing, Elyria Plastic Products, Shiloh Industries and Voss Industries. Also: Cutting Dynamics, Coleys Inc., Aircraft, Wheel and Brake by Kaman Corp., EMC Precision, Absolute Machine Tools, NN Inc., Star Metal Products and Mohr Stamping.

“It’s a two-way street. Employers want good workers, but today’s students are looking for more than just receiving a (free) tool kit if they sign on with an employer,” says Hauck. “Proximity to where they work matters to young people today. So does a flexible schedule, fair pay compensation, a company’s social responsibility and a pathway to a Registered Apprenticeship Program.

Companies that understand these trends are ahead of the game and they are the ones students are choosing.”

LCCC Partnership

Cutting Dynamics, an Avon metal fabrication and precision machining company, has long considered Lorain County Community College a partner. Now, the company’s partnership with LCCC runs even deeper as Cutting Dynamics enters its second year of a new apprenticeship program, leveraging the State of Ohio’s TechCred offering. TechCred provides funding for employers to upskill their workforce and LCCC is a state-recognized training provider with programs and credentials in information technology, engineering, healthcare and manufacturing.

Cutting Dynamics is putting the funds toward a CNC Machining apprenticeship program.

“We wanted additional educational enrichment for our employees and TechCred is a wonderful opportunity for a return on the investment,” says Angela Carpenter, the company’s human resource manager. “We had employees already going to the college on their own, but we wanted to give them an organized program to attend, to enrich their already vast mechanical knowledge.”

Cody Gibson, 35, has worked at Cutting Dynamics for nearly 20 years, starting even before he graduated from the Lorain County JVS with a certificate in precision machining. Since then, Gibson, who lives in Oberlin, has advanced from a teenage general laborer to his current role as CNC setup and operator.

“My job entails setting up different processes on various machinery to get a completed product, ranging from medical to aerospace to automotive,” Gibson says.

Two decades in the industry certainly makes Gibson a seasoned employee, but he says the apprenticeship program has expanded his skillset even more, introducing him to AutoCAD, mechanical drawing and industrial blueprint reading. The program has also given Gibson insight into the methodology behind some of the tasks he was already doing.

“A lot of classes are directly applicable to what I’m doing every day,” Gibson says. “Being shown how to do something on the job is different than learning the reasons why those steps are in place.”

Meticulous correlation between course curriculum and work-based tasks is a hallmark of LCCC’s apprenticeship programs. And once Gibson and his fellow apprentices complete the program and reach journeyperson status, their career possibilities broaden.

“It’s an advancement from the normal machining path. It’s another level,” Carpenter says. “The apprenticeship path has more steps, but it allows them to open up their options — to be foremen, to be supervisors, to be trainers. It opens up a heck of a lot of doors that might have been a little harder to open otherwise.”