An idea was tossed around about connecting schools with the Lima Tank Plant at the bi-monthly Task Force Lima meeting.
Col. Joseph Zeis put the idea on the table after talking to different career tech schools and state colleges around Ohio. Zeis told the group these schools are looking for an employment pipeline for their welders, craftsmen and STEM students. Hank Kennedy of Joint Systems Manufacturing Center said that is a possibility. The plant is currently in a hiring process, but have found there is stiff competition in the economy right now. Kennedy said JSMC is already working with nearby Apollo Career Center.
"That's exciting and it's indicative of a growing and vibrant industry," Zeis said, adviser to the governor for aerospace and defense. "Both interns of the government industry, in terms of aerospace industry, in terms of the greater defense industry. And those suppliers who actually make up a large part of the industry itself, not just the product but the supplier base. That's really exciting because that spreads across all of Ohio."
Kennedy added, employment is currently just over 600 for the plant but will need to increase that number by nearly two-thirds that in the next two years.
