LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - Ohio US Sen. Jon Husted stopped by the Wieland Randall Bearings Plant in Lima, taking a tour of the facility and talking about the future of manufacturing and workforce development.
Company vice president Jeff Hager says many workers at the Lima location come through Apollo Career Center's manufacturing program. He says those employees often move up within the company, stepping into roles in production, supervision, production management, and engineering.
The Lima plant employs about 95 people, and Hager says finding and developing skilled workers continues to be one of the company's biggest challenges.
Sen. Husted says that's why he supports expanding access to short-term training programs that prepare people for specific jobs, instead of requiring a traditional four-year degree.
Sen. Jon Husted stopped by the Wieland Randall Bearings Plant in Lima.
"We're doing everything we can to help people develop skills, because employers want skills, not degrees," said Husted. "Degrees are fine, but if you don't have a skill to go along with them, you're not going to get hired, and you don't necessarily need a college degree to get a great job."
Husted adds workforce training programs in our region play a key role in keeping manufacturing jobs in Ohio, and are essential to the nation's economic and national security.
"I love to come visit with our manufacturing facilities, because we're trying to do more made in America," said Husted. "We need to make the things that are essential for our economic and national security in America, not in China, not in places that are not our friends."
Starting July 1st, 2026, students in a variety of programs may become eligible for Workforce Pell grants.
