More money is coming to the Greater Akron Chamber to help bolster the local polymer industry’s workforce.
The $3 million federal grant, announced Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge program, will be paired with a $3.4 million local match. All told, the additional funds mean that more than $106 million in federal, state and local money are coming to Greater Akron to enhance and build the area as a destination for polymer work.
“It’s an additional opportunity to bring investment,” said Steve Millard, president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber.
Over three years, the grant money will go toward placing 320 people in polymer-related jobs in the area. It’s specifically geared toward increasing the number of employees in underrepresented categories, namely, age, race and gender.
The funds will be used to make people aware of job opportunities in the polymer space and to get them basic training and other exposure that would help them see if the jobs that are available are good fits for them. Millard said that, through the program, he hopes to place 120 people in entry-level jobs with opportunities for growth, like stocking, packing and other kinds of labor. The grant is targeting an additional 200 people for advanced training in jobs that include industrial maintenance, production and machine operations and supervisory roles.
Local employers have been working to coalesce around a series of standards that makes them likely to hire someone, he said, increasing the chances that those who go through the training programs will be hired at the end of the training. Millard said he expects to reach 500 people, and train 400, with the understanding that the available positions won’t be a good fit for some and others will leave for other reasons, including finding other jobs.
“We’re identifying people who have an interest and cultivating that,” he said. “Generally, our push is around creating awareness and recruiting people to get into the industry.”
State and federal grants last year put nearly $100 million into Akron’s efforts to become a leader in the polymer industry. Akron was one of eight awardees in the latest round of federal funding. The award announcement said that while the region has been a manufacturing and polymer industry leader for more than a century, it “faces skilled worker shortages and gaps in training infrastructure, threatening global competitiveness.”
Partners can help fill vacant jobs
Nearly 10% of manufacturing jobs in the area are unfilled, according to the Department of Economic Development, underscoring the need for a strategy to better train people for available jobs. The total award from the department is $3.08 million.
The available polymer-based jobs are those with good wages, strong job security, opportunities for advancement and pathways to financial stability, the chamber said in a news release announcing the funding. The October 2023 designation of Akron as a polymer tech hub set the stage for the grant.
And the local match, of $3.37 million, will be provided by Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, MAGNET, Manufacturing Works and Stark State College.
In an email, a Stark State spokesperson, Becky Badar, said the grant was “certainly exciting news for our region’s economic development, workforce and sustainability efforts.” The school plans to use its portion of the award to hire adjunct faculty as needed to meet course demands. It also plans to create a career navigator position to serve as a bridge between students and employers, helping ensure employers have access to a technically proficient workforce.
Elected officials praised the award, saying in statements the money would help improve Ohio’s future. Gov. Mike DeWine said the money would bring the state “one step closer to solidifying its position as a global leader in polymers ,” while U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes said the funds “will ensure Northeast Ohio remains a global leader and trailblazer in polymer science and polymer engineering, reaffirming our district’s legacy as the Rubber Capital of the World.”
Additionally, Sykes this week announced two federal grants totaling $1.64 million. The University of Akron received $1.64 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for battery development and $50,000 from the U.S. National Science Foundation for the development of more resilient metal parts.
Sykes said in a statement that the grant projects will “encourage innovation and bolster our economy.” The battery development project will focus on customizing a particular type of battery and scaling manufacturing. The National Science Foundation grant will go toward developing a cooling system for a mechanical finishing process of some manufactured metal parts to reduce cracks and increase the life of the parts.