This story is part of an ongoing series exploring north central Ohio's workforce trends and how different organizations, including businesses and schools, are adapting to current challenges. Thanks to our presenting sponsor, Gorman-Rupp Company for its ongoing support of trusted independent local journalism.
MANSFIELD — Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted visited a familiar face in Mansfield to cap off his In-Demand Jobs Week tours before speaking at North Central State College’s 2024 commencement Friday evening.
Goyal Industries president Jay Goyal, a former Ohio statehouse representative for Mansfield and Richland County, showed the lieutenant governor some of the company’s major products and around the production floor.
Jay’s father Paki Goyal founded the company in 1988. Paki Goyal was previously the chief engineer at Ohio Brass Company and was recently inducted into the North Central Ohio manufacturing hall of fame.
Goyal Industries produced custom metal components for a variety of industries including electrical utilities and railroad transit. It currently employs about 30 people at 382 Park Ave. East.
Husted also discussed workforce development and career technical education growth with local manufacturing business leaders. State Rep. Marilyn John and State Sen. Mark Romanchuk also joined the tour and discussion Friday.
This year marks the seventh annual In-Demand Jobs Week in Ohio. This year’s theme was “Ohio: the Heart of Opportunity.”
“We’re only as good as the talent we have working at our businesses,” Husted said. That’s why we’re really promoting all of these great career opportunities in Ohio. When we get this right, everybody wins.”
Career center enrollment expanding across state
Husted discussed goals like preparing younger workers for jobs that older populations are retiring out of. He cited Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly’s $300 million appropriation for career tech center improvements as a step forward.
“As people are retiring with their skills, the pool that we’re drawing from is shrinking, so we have to do better at making sure that every student is career ready,” Husted said.
“Even as we’re doing that — this is good news and bad news — the good news is more and more students want to do career tech. The bad news is we can’t keep up and build new opportunities as quickly as they’re needed right now, but that’s a great sign.”
The lieutenant governor said he would like to see local school districts begin to build career tech labs on their home campuses if there is enough student interest.
“When you have more kids in many high schools going to career centers than staying at the home school, that’s critical mass,” he said.
“Particularly for rural communities that may see a lot of their young people leave, if you get them educated there and you connect them to a job before they graduate, they stay.”
Local leaders emphasize early education career exposure
Husted also visited New Lexington High School, southwest of Zanesville, for In-Demand Jobs Week, where high schoolers were showing 3rd graders how to weld pieces of metal.
Michael Byrne Manufacturing president Jim Weist said he appreciated the idea of early career exposure at a young age.
“We work with the Regional Manufacturing Coalition for manufacturing days, and I know Pioneer does the sophomore open houses, and that’s almost too late sometimes,” he said.
Husted said he and Gov. DeWine have discussed how to support career technical education for high school freshmen.
“Some schools are already doing that,” he said. “If you’re a freshman and you know what you want to do in career training, then there’s no reason we shouldn’t help you with that.
“There’s a lot of great programs that are driven locally. We can authorize them and we can help give some money to them, but they’ve got to be driven by your local community because you want to design something that complements your local economy.”
Husted: Intel project to expand job, business opportunities locally
Husted also touched on how Richland County and surrounding regions can prepare for the Licking County Intel facility expected to begin semiconductor chip manufacturing by 2027.
“Bringing a whole new industry to our state is going to grow the job opportunities and business opportunities,” he said. “But there’s no doubt that we have to supply the talent.
“The one limiting factor on our growth is whether we can find enough people to go to work to fill all the jobs. That’s what our career centers and community colleges and our adult education training centers do to prepare these students for their opportunities.
“We have to be great at this, and we’re only as good as our local team. Whether that’s Pioneer, North Central State or our local high schools. When they do great, the community does great.”
North Central State College is a member institution of the Midwest Semiconductor Network and the Ohio Semiconductor Collaboration Network, both of which are working to build educational programs for a skilled local workforce in the semiconductor and microelectronics industries.
There are currently more than 174,000 jobs posted on OhioMeansJobs.com with the majority of them paying over $50,000 a year. More information about In-Demand Jobs Week, job opportunities and career services is online at OhioMeansJobs.com.
Thanks to Gorman-Rupp Company, Spherion, North Central State College, Ashland County Community Foundation and The Ohio State University Mansfield for their generous support of trusted independent local journalism.