Investing Early – Preparing the Employees of the Future

Coady Barrie, Corporate Quality Assurance Manager and Chairman of the Student Advisory Committee at Cuyahoga Community College, shares his insight on why early interaction with future potential employees of our industry is important.

Being a 5-year Chairman on the Student Advisory Committee for the Mechanical Engineering/Manufacturing Industrial Technology (MET) programs at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), Coady Barrie, Corporate Quality Assurance Manager, knows a thing or two about finding and preparing future employees for the metals manufacturing industry.

The advisory committee helps Tri-C determine which courses they should include in their certification/degree programs to ensure businesses in the metals and manufacturing industries are hiring graduates who can immediately contribute. Tri-C has several programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) to date. Currently up for comment is the first of its kind in the state of Ohio – a 4-year Degree in Smart Manufacturing. This degree incorporates Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and other manufacturing principles.

“In order to develop a strong pool of candidates, we have to start introducing who we are as an industry to 6-12th graders and help them understand that there are educational opportunities available for them (like the programs at Tri-C) that are designed to provide them with the knowledge they need to be successful in our industry,” said Coady.

The overall goals of developing a relationship with local trade schools and higher education institutions is to:

• Find and prepare the next generation of metals and manufacturing industry employees
• Help create programs that meet the industry’s needs
• Establish Olympic Steel as a desirable employer to high-potential students

Coady’s work with Tri-C is setting up the next generation for success in the metals and manufacturing industry and building a pipeline of potential future talent for Olympic Steel.

It’s never too soon to start planning for our future by helping middle and high schoolers discover all that metals and manufacturing have to offer. If you haven’t done so already, develop a relationship now with a vocational school, career tech center or college/university near you – visit trade-schools.net to get started or reach out to your Regional HR Manager.