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OhioMeansJobs: Apprenticeship Program Helps Employers

1/12/2021

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OhioMeansJobs Champaign County logo
This is the third in a three-part series on employer services provided by OhioMeansJobs Champaign County to help local businesses retain their workforce through training that prepares valued employees for new skills, technology and career advancement. Other employer services featured in this series include Incumbent Worker Training and On-the-Job Training.

When recruiting for jobs that require specialized skills, employers compete for a limited pool of qualified candidates. Ohio’s Registered Apprenticeship program, available locally through OhioMeansJobs Champaign County (OMJCC), helps employers overcome this challenge and build their skilled workforce from within.

“It’s probably the best way to supply employers a pipeline of reliable, skilled employees,” says Andrea Mitchell, business services representative of OMJCC.

Through the Registered Apprenticeship program employers provide proven, valued employees the opportunity to learn new skills through structured on-the-job training that meets industry standards, aligned with technical instruction from an approved school – all while getting paid. “Apprentices earn a livable wage as they learn,” Mitchell says.

The Rittal North America facility in Urbana currently has three employees enrolled in the apprenticeship program, with a fourth possibly beginning in early 2021, says Dan Yohey, quality engineer and manager of apprenticeships at Rittal.

Rittal has one industrial engineering apprentice, David Vanderveen, an assembler with the company for six years, and two maintenance technician apprentices, Billy Warren and Malik Tanksley, who have been at Rittal for less than two years.

Vanderveen started his apprenticeship in late February 2020, and Warren and Tanksley, in late May 2020. All three are enrolled in 8,000-hour/four-year programs at Clark State Community College, with which Rittal has previously partnered with for internships. The length of apprenticeships varies by industry and occupation.

The apprentices are completing on-the-job training under the supervision of mentors, who are among 10 Rittal engineers, managers and senior technicians who completed mentorship training developed for Rittal by Clark State.

The Registered Apprenticeship program is employer-driven. This means, says Mitchell, that employers:
  • Design the training to meet their unique operational needs
  • Choose the educational provider and curriculum to align with the on-the-job training and job requirements
  • Select apprentices, from within their existing workforce, who have proven themselves reliable, with the drive and talent to take on new challenges
“We were able to customize this program to actually create better engineers,” Nick Frost, manufacturing engineering manager and supervisor of Rittal’s apprenticeship mentors, says. Once they complete the program, he adds, the apprentices will be “far more rounded and specialized in what Rittal needs…. The idea is that we will make better engineers than what we are today.”

After developing its apprenticeship training program, in partnership with Clark State and OMJCC, Rittal took the plan to the Greater Ohio Workforce Development Board, Inc. (GOWBI) for approval and certification. As the apprenticeship sponsor, GOWBI conducts audits and other administrative services on behalf of Rittal.

In addition to benefitting the company and apprentices, Yohey says, “The apprenticeship program sends a message to the rest of the workforce in the plant that, based on the success of these individuals, that we’re walking the walk and offering career advancement opportunities at Rittal—not just longevity. It boosts morale.”

The apprenticeships also benefit the mentors, Frost says. Serving as mentors “is their next progression on that ladder of moving up…. You invest the time and money to send them through the training, and it says, ‘We trust you, and you’re on your way up.’”

Apprenticeships increase employee retention rates, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. And they reduce the time invested in recruiting skilled employees – in competition with other employers – and orienting them to the culture, products and processes of a new workplace.

“It’s a lot easier to develop your skilled workforce rather than competing with other companies and bringing them in from the outside,” Yohey said. “It’s pretty competitive right now. The need for technicians and engineers, it’s pretty cutthroat.”

Frost adds, “When we onboard a new engineer, we look at from six to 12 weeks before they bring any value, just because they’re trying to learn what we do. When we bring up somebody from in the company, the learning curve is so much less, and we can get right to the technical aspects of their training. They’re instantly bringing some value.”

To learn more about the Registered Apprenticeship program, call OhioMeansJobs Champaign County at 937-484-1581. OMJCC is available to provide employers presentations – onsite or virtually – about the Registered Apprenticeship program and other OMJCC workforce training services.
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Former Urbana Manufacturing Building to get $2M Facelift

12/17/2020

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Urbana Manufacturing Building Facelift
Click image to view video on WHIO-TV's website.
By: Jenna Lawson, WHIO-TV
By this time next year, the entire corridor west of Urbana’s Monument Square could look completely different.

City and county economic development officials announced this month that the former Q3 JMC (Johnson Manufacturing Company) building on Miami Street will soon undergo a nearly two million dollar renovation and house three future businesses.

The building has been vacant for over 10 years.

“We’re going to see new work, new life, new employees in this building,” said Champaign Economic Partnership Director Marcia Bailey.
​

Securing the building and cleaning up the site took the team effort of private and public partnerships like the City of Urbana, the Champaign Economic Partnership and True Inspection Services, LLC, a full-service commercial inspection, engineering and construction management company.

TIS is now the owner of 12.6 of the 20 acre site, including the building. TIS Executive Vice President Joe Timm said three tenants will move into the building after its restoration – TIS, Community Health and Wellness Partners out of Logan County and The Door Shop, which is a commercial door company.

Project partners hope that after the work is completed, other investors will be drawn to build on space behind the building and part of the site’s acreage on the other side of the bike path.

The JMC project piggybacks off of the ongoing development of the FC Legacy Place senior living project that will transform the former North and South elementary schools and the Douglas Inn into affordable senior housing.

“We’re kind of looking at this as the anchor client or anchor site for helping redevelop this whole neighborhood,” Timm said.
​
Construction bids for the project will go out soon, and the businesses are expected to move in by fall 2021.
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Restoration of Former Q3 JMC Building to Begin Soon

12/1/2020

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Three Businesses to Move in Next Fall

Urbana Q3 JMC Building
An artist's rendering of the front exterior of the Q3 JMC building at 605 Miami St. in Urbana.
​After being vacant since 2008, and a prominent eyesore, the former Q3 JMC, Inc. building at 605 Miami St. in Urbana will be restored and renovated over the next 12 months to reestablish it as an attractive contributor to the local economy. By next fall, the building will be the new home of three businesses.
 
Work on the $2 million project will begin in four to six weeks, says Joe Timm, Executive Vice President of True Inspection Services, LLC (TIS), which acquired the property in May from the City of Urbana. Plans by McCall Sharp Architecture are nearly complete, and bid packages will soon go out to local contractors, Timm said.

Once work is completed, TIS – a minority-owned, full-service commercial inspection, engineering and construction management company – will occupy the building’s second floor, moving from its current South Main Street location.
 
Community Health & Wellness Partners (CHWP), which offers a full range of primary medical care including behavioral health services in Bellefontaine, Indian Lake and West Liberty, will open a newly approved Urbana location on the first floor of 605 Miami St. by late fall 2021. The Health Resource Service Administration has also granted CHWP approval to open a school-based health center in West Liberty-Salem Schools in early 2021, CHWP President/CEO Tara Bair said.
 
The third business – The Door Shop, a commercial door and hardware distributor – will have light manufacturing and warehouse operations at the site.
 
The former Q3 JMC building is the fourth major vacant structure in Urbana to be given a new lease on life this fall. It joins the Douglas Hotel and the former Urbana North and South Elementary Schools, which are being restored and renovated for FC Legacy Place, a total of 51 affordable senior apartments.
 
“Both projects have moved forward thanks to strong public-private partnerships, of government and business working together to obtain the necessary funding and provide the expertise to bring plans to reality,” said Marcia Bailey, director of the Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP), Champaign County’s economic development agency.
 
Bailey credits the Champaign County Board of Revision for helping set the wheels in motion for the Q3 JMC project when it approved in 2015 the City of Urbana’s request to obtain the property free of unpaid back property taxes and other encumbrances after no one bid on the property at a sheriff’s sale.
 
The city took ownership of the 20-acre site in 2017, said Doug Crabill, community development manager who has managed the project for the city. After that the city pursued redevelopment of the property, to clear it of contamination and prepare it for development by new owners.
 
Bailey assisted the city in reaching an agreement with TIS, the city’s development partner, to oversee the site cleanup and redevelopment. “They were the only company that came forward with interest in renovating the building and turning the brownfield into a greenfield for business development,” Bailey said. “Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to find an end user for the property because of the contamination that had to be removed.”
 
On behalf of TIS, Bailey wrote an application for a JobsOhio Site Redevelopment Pilot Program grant to help fund the work.
 
JobsOhio, encouraged by the number of community partners involved, awarded TIS a reimbursable grant of $883,947 to help cover the cost of demolition, environmental remediation, asbestos abatement, removal and disposal of waste, and site preparation. The city provided $348,435 in matching funds, and TIS contributed $116,145.
 
TIS has acquired 12.6 acres on the east side of the 20-acre redevelopment site, including the Q3 JMC building. The remaining portion of the 20-acre site is being readied to be marketed for business development, Crabill said.
 
Timm said TIS’s new location will “help take us to the next step in the growth of our company, to hire more personnel and expand our operations.” In addition, he said, some of the 12.6-acre parcel that the former Q3 JMC building sits on will be developed for sale to other businesses.
 
“The building will be an anchor for future development on the rest of the property, restore jobs lost when Q3 JMC closed, and generate tax revenue for our community,” Bailey said.  
 
Kerry Brugger, Urbana’s director of administration, said, “We’re excited to see the building come back into productive use. It’s a great project for our community. It eliminates a severe safety and health nuisance for the community and will retain and create jobs.”
 
Of TIS, he said, “It’s been a pleasure working with them. They’ve been an excellent partner to work with.”
​
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CARES Grant for Champaign County Small Businesses

10/29/2020

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Funds aimed to help small business hit by pandemic

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Click to apply before Nov. 13th!
​The Champaign Economic Partnership (CEP) has partnered with the Champaign  County Commissioners to administer CARES Act funds to Champaign County small businesses impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.  Businesses could be awarded up to $10,000 if approved for the grant.

“Our local economy has been negatively impacted with the Coronavirus and our small businesses are some of the hardest hit,” said Marcia Bailey CEP Economic Development Director.  “These funds are an expense reimbursement grant and will help get the businesses through this difficult time."

To qualify for the grant program, businesses must:
  • Be locally owned and physically located in Champaign County
  • Have 50 or less employees as of January 2020
  • Be current on all state, federal and local taxes
  • Be in good standing with all applicable government regulations

Some examples of eligible reimbursable expenses include:
  • Business mortgage or lease costs
  • Business utilities, such as electric, gas, sewer, water, trash, business insurance etc.
  • Materials and supplies related to interruption of your business caused by required closures
  • Business costs related to compliance with Responsible RestartOhio.

Businesses that have received funding for expenses arising from the pandemic cannot submit the same expenses for reimbursement under the CARES Grant for Champaign County Small Businesses.

“We are so appreciative of our small businesses and although there is great uncertainty, Champaign County is hopeful that businesses receiving these grant funds will successfully persevere through the COVID-19 pandemic.” Bailey said.

Applications and grant guidelines are available here: www.champaignworks.com/CARESGrantChampaignCounty beginning October 30, 2020. Application deadline is November 13, 2020 at 5:00 pm. Due to the short application period, we recommend you apply as soon as possible.  In order to assist you, please send your questions to info@cepohio.com.
​
Businesses are also encouraged to visit https://businesshelp.ohio.gov for additional assistance.  Governor DeWine announced CARES Act funding through the State of Ohio for small business and others that have been impacted financially by the pandemic
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JobsOhio Virtual Career Fair for Champaign County on Nov. 18

10/9/2020

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JobsOhio Virtual Career Fair
Click to visit soche.org/vcf to Register.
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‘Legacy Place’ senior housing project moves forward in Urbana, construction to start soon

9/18/2020

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By: Jenna Lawson, WHIO
View video of the announcement on WHIO's website
There were many points in the last five years that community partners thought ‘Legacy Place’ might never happen.

It took time to capture nearly $13 million in funding sources, including historic tax credits – not to mention delays due to the pandemic. But on Thursday, partners announced the funds were released and they are able to move forward with the project. It’s possible construction could start within the next week.

‘Legacy Place’ transforms the Douglas Inn in downtown Urbana and two former elementary schools (North & South) into affordable senior housing. 51 units will be created for those 55 and older, with six of them being devoted to people with disabilities.

“It’s just a real renaissance for Urbana,” Mayor Bill Bean told News Center 7′s Jenna Lawson.

Duane Miller, with development company Flaherty & Collins and also president of F & C Legacy Place, said the project accomplishes two goals: turning three vacant properties into useful properties and filling the need for affordable senior housing in Urbana.

“I love to jump into the skin of a community that’s looking for help and looking for opportunities to spur on their own development,” he said.

The Douglas has been vacant since 2004 and has long been a large eyesore on the southwest corner of Monument Square. The building has somewhat deteriorated and was the target of multiple arson fires in 2019.

The former owner of the property, John Doss, has done work to stabilize the structure. The elementary schools, despite being about 100 years old, are in solid shape, partners said.

The timeline for the project will move quickly. Developers estimate about six months to complete both elementary schools and a little over a year to finish the Douglas. Partners are hopeful that the project will have a positive domino effect on other aspects of Urbana living including neighboring businesses and housing.

“We may see some of those seniors who may move in here and now their single family homes are available for a new families to move in,” said director of the Champaign Economic Partnership, Marcia Bailey.

Bailey added that this solution also preserves the history of all three buildings for the community to enjoy for decades to come. “Having these buildings standing as they are and being repurposed is a huge win for our community,” she said.

Other partners in the project include the City of Urbana, Urbana City Schools and Resident Supports and Services, Inc., which provides housing for seniors and adults with developmental disabilities.
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Legacy Place Project Gets Green Light

9/18/2020

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Work Begins to Transform the Douglas Hotel and Former Elementary Schools into Senior Apartments
Work crews will soon begin transforming the long vacant Douglas Hotel in downtown Urbana and the former Urbana North and South Elementary Schools into 51 affordable apartments for senior citizens.
 
With release this week of about $13 million in previously approved financing, the long-anticipated Legacy Place project got the green light to begin renovation of the historic buildings, says Duane Miller, F&C Legacy Place president. Transfer of the funds to Legacy Place was delayed by pandemic-related office closures.

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Open Interviews at Rittal on Sep. 12

9/1/2020

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Open Interviews at Rittal Urbana
​Rittal is now hiring. Next hiring event is Saturday, September 12, 2020. 

These are for Direct Hire openings including Assembly Operators, Machine Operators (CNC Machine), Paint Load/Unload, and Welders.
  • Starting pay up to $16 hour with shift differential
  • Benefits starting the 1st of the month
  • Monthly attendance bonus

​Email resume to mckee.k@rittal.us or call Katie McKee at 937-629-2097.
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Ohio Third Frontier D& I Technology Internship Program

8/20/2020

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The Diversity & Inclusion Technology Internship Program, an Internship Program administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency,  is designed to support startups and small businesses with high quality, low cost internship opportunities.

DSA will reimburse two-thirds of the wages paid (up to $10,000) to an intern acquired through our program.  Companies can either be a tech-focused company or any company with the need for a tech-focused intern.  During this time of social distancing, the internship allows for and encourages, remote or telework opportunities.  Companies can hire as many as three (3) interns for different positions.  The minimum wage for interns is $15 per hour but can exceed that amount.  The internship period begins on November 1, 2020 and ends on April 30, 2021.
 
The company application is now open and interested companies can apply at https://development.ohio.gov/bs_thirdfrontier/diip.htm
 
Below is a 1 pager outlining the Internship Program. Please feel free to forward along to any businesses you think may be interested in this opportunity.
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KTH to Host Walk-in Hiring Event on Aug. 16

8/4/2020

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KTH Parts Industries in St. Paris, Ohio is hosting a walk-in hiring event on Sunday, August 16th from 1-4pm. Just bring a resume and photo ID to apply for an opening on 2nd Shift for a Product Associate. Learn more at www.kth.net.
KTH Hiring
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