Call
it EcoMOMic development. Families have
an extra job this Thanksgiving Dinner. Don’t
let your holiday visitors leave without talking to them about a return home.
Homesickness
has a cure. Moving home!
There
are job opportunities in Licking County and Ohio that make that easier right
now. Unfilled jobs are unfulfilled
economic growth potential upon which Licking County’s future depends. It’s,
therefore, all our jobs to promote job opportunities.
Talk
about three reasons to help family feel more ready to return.
Higher
paying job opportunities are emerging. In July, Ohio labor
market reports showed Licking County manufacturing jobs grew 40%, adding over
9,300 jobs since 2010. Those reports showed
the manufacturing sector remains the largest in Licking County, with growing
wages too.
Reshoring
and onshoring of manufacturing are contributing to future trends. New Albany’s Beauty Park in Western Licking
County is a shining national example of where overseas manufacturing has successfully
returned to U.S. shores. Statewide, JobsOhio has seen five large projects
announced of products being made in Ohio, including Peloton bikes and American
Nitrile gloves.
Diverse
industrial development is happening. Licking County enjoys a
diversity of industry that is unparalleled.
Our job base is not dependent on one or two large employers. The manufacturers hiring include well-known
companies making a wide range of products with openings at all skill levels. Owens
Corning, THK, Covestro, Lear, Hendrickson, Ariel, Samuel, Boeing, and Goodyear
are among the mix. They aren’t alone. In
fact, the list hiring is too long to name them all.
Talk
about diversity. Six plant-based food
industry companies have found their way to Central Licking County making
everything from baby formula and plant-based seafood to soy crisps and
sterols. Plant-based food is the
fastest-growing segment of the food industry.
STEM
jobs are all the rage. One of Licking County’s
largest engineering and technology skills employers, Boeing, secured an 18-year,
$1.6 billion contract extension that brought news of economic stability. Boeing anchors the Port Authority campus which
saw 20+ employers combine to increase employment 13% in 2020 despite the
crisis. Sparked in part by a homesick
Ohioan, Amgen recently broke ground for 400 biomedical-related jobs in Western
Licking County. There’s more to come.
I
suggest talking about two actions to take.
Stop
by OhioMeansJobs Licking County. Licking County’s workforce
services are a gem and a big part of why the county agency received and
maintains a stand-out national accreditation.
In fact, most of the workforce customers for the one stop operation are
job seekers already employed but looking to upgrade in this labor market. Just stop by 998 E. Main Street in Newark or
visit OhioMeansJobsLickingCounty.com.
Seek
out upskilling. That ticket back home
may be just one more credential or skill away from being a reality. C-TEC,
Central Ohio Technical College, and Ohio State – Newark offer job training
opportunities for job seekers. Denison
has joined in too with Denison Edge, a new approach to career-readiness offerings. LickingCountyWorks.com is a launching pad for
resources, including a cool tool for exploring career options.
Just
stick to it. Don’t stop after the
pumpkin pie. Keep the important EcoMOMic
development work going long past the holidays.
Licking County’s future depends on it!
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This development column is a regular column in The Advocate.
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