Earn-And-Learn Programs

U.S. Department of Labor Scaling Apprenticeships

Upskilling Through Earn-and-Learn Strategies

To build Ohio’s manufacturing talent pipeline, the Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership (OMWP) is leading a statewide initiative to upskill 5,000 Ohioans with innovative earn-and-learn (apprenticeship) strategies. OMWP is a collaboration between Ohio TechNet, a consortium of Ohio’s community colleges and other post-secondary education institutions, and The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, which facilitates the statewide network of manufacturer-led regional sector partnerships.

OMWP’s earn-and-learn programs are currently supported by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), through its Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies initiative, which provided a $12 million grant.

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As the Southwest Ohio’s sub-recipient for the management of the DOL Scaling Apprenticeship Grant, TechSolve is committed to train and hire 600 apprentices over the next three years. The counties this grant serves are Hamilton, Bulter, Warren, Brown, and Clermont.

Program Approach

Promote collaboration and resource sharing among manufacturers and their education and workforce partners through regional sector partnerships.

Ohio’s statewide network of regional sector partnerships provides a forum for manufacturers to identify shared workforce challenges that can more effectively be addressed collectively rather than as individual companies. Manufacturers work with area education and training providers to develop relevant training programs to maximize efficiency in developing talent in, these in-demand skill areas:

  • Production
  • Machining
  • Welding
  • Industrial maintenance
  • Automation and robotics

Develop flexible, innovative solutions.

The program will adopt the best elements of traditional apprenticeship programs while giving manufacturers the flexibility to focus on skills and outcomes most important to their success. Businesses can decide what works best for them while meeting five requirements:

  • Provide paid, work-based learning delivered by the employer.
  • Offer structured, on-the-job training and mentorship.
  • Provide or arrange for technical instruction relevant to approved apprenticeship pathways.
  • Ensure completion of a nationally portable, industry- recognized credential.
  • Meet standards for safety, supervision and equal opportunity.

Ensure career readiness by connecting training to specific industry-recognized credentials.

Earn-and-learn programs give employees specific skills they need to be effective in today’s modern manufacturing. An industry-recognized credential is a third-party verification of an individual’s competence and can take many forms, including certifications, certificates, licenses and degrees. Credentials also:

  • Align to well-defined career pathways for employees. This is attractive to workers who desire a long-term development strategy, especially young people. This can be key to long- term retention.
  • Remove guesswork from hiring and promotion. Match the right candidates with the right jobs and increase the skills of your existing workforce.
  • Reduce training time and costs. Also, you will increase the speed at which the employee achieves full productivity.

Why Earn-and-Learn?

Manufacturing businesses of all sizes need new ways to partner with Ohio’s educators, including community colleges, universities, adult technical centers, and career technical centers to ensure that our communities are ready for both the jobs of today and those of tomorrow.

Earn-and-learn strategies are proven solutions to help manufacturers recruit, train and retain a skilled workforce. By combining instruction with on-the-job training, earn-and-learn increases relevancy, accelerates learning, and ensures the employee is mastering the essential skills. Earn-and-learn strategies give employers the opportunity to build a workforce trained to their specific needs.

job opportunities with manufacturing companies

Questions on How the U.S. DOL Grant Can Benefit Your Company?

Contact Vickie McMullen at mcmullen@TechSolve.org