OTTAWA, Ohio (WLIO) - Around two-thirds of Putnam County workers leave the county to go to work, but officials want people to know that great-paying jobs are close to home.
During Putnam County Manufacturing Day, more than 500 students from different school districts visited area manufacturers to learn more about career opportunities. A group of eighth graders from Leipsic School toured Nelson Manufacturing in Ottawa to see how the company custom builds equipment used in the aerospace, construction and transportation industries across North America. Organizers hope seeing the process in action will spark student interest.
A group of eighth graders from Leipsic School toured Nelson Manufacturing in Ottawa.
“Yeah, we kind of call that going to the spot. You got to go there and see what is actually going on. See it, smell it, touch it, if possible, to really understand it. And it sticks in your mind that, hey, you know, this might be a good opportunity for me. So, we want them to be aware of what we have here locally, and all the high-tech jobs, and then really all the different jobs that manufacturers require. It's just not people working on the floor. They need engineers, they need nurses. They need everything,” said Karl Schimmoeller, director of the Workforce Partnership of Putnam County.
Manufacturers emphasized that today’s workforce requires a mix of technical and practical skills.
“There's a lot of high end jobs we need here at Nelson. We need a lot of people that are smart, hard working and want to work with their hands, and that's a combination that you don't see in the schools. They are trying to get you to either go to school or go to a trade school. We need a combination of all of that,” said Tony Niese, president of Nelson Manufacturing.
By giving students an inside look at local companies, organizers hope eighth graders will make more informed choices about high school and possible career tech programs that lead to manufacturing jobs.
