Careers 101: Manufacturing Jobs in Ohio

Published on 2008-07-10

Schools:

A study of the Ohio manufacturing sector composed by the Center for Human Resource Research at Ohio State University found that the state's manufacturing workforce contained a higher percentage of workers with no more than a high school education (44.2%) and a lower percentage of college graduates (11.2%) than Ohio's overall labor force. A significant reason for this disparity is the greater number of production jobs (e.g. assemblers and machine operators) within the manufacturing sector: 53.7% versus 13% in other industries. The manufacturing jobs in Ohio which are more likely to be held by college graduates include engineering, technical, computer, management, and product design-related occupations. Some of the leading Ohio schools offering degree programs in these areas include The Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University, Miami University, and Ohio University. ISUS Institute of Manufacturing is a unique school in Dayton, OH that provides out-of-school youth the opportunity to establish manufacturing careers by earning a high school diploma and industry-recognized certification in manufacturing and other areas.

Employers:

As of May 2008 there were about 760,000 manufacturing jobs in Ohio according to an economic overview by the Ohio Department of Development. Transportation equipment and fabricated metals are Ohio's two largest manufacturing sectors. General Electric, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, AK Steel, Arcelor Mittal, Timken, and Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel all have a significant manufacturing presence in the state. Goodyear, Eaton, Parker Hannifin, and Lubrizol are some of the largest providers of manufacturing jobs in Cleveland and its metro area. Manufacturing employment is expected to decline statewide in the coming years, but some factory jobs will show minimal employment growth. These include welders, cutters, solderers and brazers; computer-controlled machine tool operators; and packing and filler machine operators and tenders.