Ohio’s manufacturing industry is among the biggest in the nation. In 2024, the sector’s gross domestic product in Ohio totaled over $137.9 billion, trailing only California, Texas, Illinois and Indiana.
But the sector faces a workforce shortage. The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association estimates it’ll need 35,000 new workers every year to offset baby boomer retirements and meet growing demand.
“We need individuals who show up on time. We need to break the stigma that manufacturing is just a dark, dirty, dingy place to work,” said Hunter Warsinsky, workforce program manager of a new initiative called Made in Appalachia.
Run by the Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers’ Coalition and backed by $3 million in state funding, the pilot program seeks to meet the industry’s workforce needs by training an often-overlooked segment of the population: people in behavioral health recovery programs.
“We want to get individuals in recovery off the sidelines and give them an opportunity to get a family sustaining wage job, and at the same time help the manufacturing field in our area,” Warsinsky said.
In the year since the program started, it has connected with over 50 individuals and provided training on everything from creating a resume to welding.
Lasers and 3D printers
During a recent weeklong course at the Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers’ Coalition’s shop in Marietta, a small group of students learned how to operate a 6,000-watt laser.
“Typically, this is used in mass production to make parts,” said trainer Nate Huddleston. “They're nonstop. They run 24/7.”
Nearby, a separate group huddled around desktop computers, learning how to use 3D printers.
Christian Noland, a Made in Appalachia participant, wore a straw hat, adorned with colorful tags he’s received from Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
“These tags are my ‘sober time,’” he said. He’s going on 120 days sober, and as he considers his next steps, manufacturing seems like a good option.
“It’s fun. I like working with computers,” Noland said. “And they're always looking for workers doing manufacturing.”
Southeast Ohio was disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic. But as people recover from substance use disorders, some struggle to find employment.
“Even getting these guys certifications is hard,” said Colt Morningstar, Made in Appalachia’s workforce program coordinator. “There's been multiple individuals [who] don't have a ride to get training in welding. They don't have a ride to get their mill operation certification. So we really have to meet them where they're at.”
Sometimes that means offering them a lift to training or getting them a car battery. Other times, it’s finding child care for their kids or buying them a welding mask.
“It's not that these people don't want to work, or they don't wanna do this. It's the fact that they don't have the opportunity or the chance to,” Morningstar said.
‘Everybody’s human’
So far, one Made in Appalachia participant has been hired to work for a local manufacturer.
Morningstar says the challenge now is convincing employers to give more people a shot.
“And just get people to question, ‘Hey, maybe I need to look at these individuals in a different light because everybody's human and everybody makes mistakes. It's just not everybody has a mistake go on their record,’” he said.
Made in Appalachia already has plans to provide a mobile manufacturing training to people in a local jail. They hope it’ll give people a second chance and boost manufacturers too, as they search for employees to sustain their businesses.
