(Photo: Chris Miller)
Finding employment can be difficult, but there are actually more opportunities than many realize, especially in skills-based hiring. And many of those jobs are in the industrial sector, but we must shake the image of the rubber companies of yesteryear, as manufacturing has changed considerably.
Leadership Akron, in partnership with Akron Community Foundation and United Way of Summit County, hosted the Pathways to Employment discussion, one of a number of scheduled events centered around Akron Community Foundation’s report “Creating Measurable Community Impact.”
The event, part of the War on Poverty series, featured three panelists: Christine Marshall, deputy director of workforce development at Ohio Means Jobs Center, Dr. Para Jones, president at Stark State College, and Jon Miller, talent manager at BCG & Company. These three touched on important factors and points about finding employment in today’s society.
Summit County unemployment rates are hovering around 5 percent, says Marshall, who adds, “Being recognized for the skills that someone has gained is going to give a leg up to individuals who are seeking employment.” Miller, who has been a recruiter for the last 12 years, mentions that there has never been a real straightforward way for him to know whether a person would be a good fit for a certain position. He says “to actually have a scientific way to say this candidate could potentially be a good match is exciting.”
The most needed jobs right now were touched on, too. Jones says, “Industrial maintenance, people who can fix the equipment in plants, is the No. 1 need hands down. And that’s probably the No. 1 need across the region and across the state right now.” She also said that health careers are the second most needed job right now.
Akron Community Foundation’s 16-page report examines the issues of employment, early childhood poverty, food insecurity and transportation, as well as an emerging issue, the growing senior population. It provides data on each issue, examines how they impact one another, and suggests opportunities for improvement. To read the report, click here.
The next discussion will take place March 25, 4 p.m. at the Ohio Means Jobs center on Tallmadge Road.
