Manufacturing Pathways Pilot
$1.76 Million Initiative Connects Ohio Students to Manufacturing Careers
Ohio manufacturers need more than 30,000 technicians every year. With major investments from Intel, Honda, LG Energy Solution, Ford, and SEMCORP reshaping the state’s economy, that demand is only growing.
The Manufacturing Pathways Pilot is designed to help meet it.
Launched in May 2025 with $1.76 million in funding from the Walton Family Foundation, the pilot awarded 10 grants to school districts across Ohio. The goal: Create and expand manufacturing career pathways that connect high school students directly to in-demand jobs.
What makes this model work?
Each funded program brings together three partners: K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and local industry employers. That cross-sector structure ensures students graduate with credentials that actually match what employers need.
Participating districts include urban systems like Columbus City Schools and Cincinnati Public Schools, regional STEM schools like Dayton Regional STEM and Tri-State STEM+M, and rural districts in Appalachian counties where manufacturing represents a path to economic opportunity.
“There are opportunities for high paying jobs in manufacturing,” one Tri-State STEM+M student noted, “right here in Appalachia.”
Building a community of practice
Beyond funding, the pilot provides implementation support, curriculum guidance, marketing resources, and connections to higher education and industry partners. Funded programs participate in a community of practice, sharing strategies and learning from each other’s successes.
Battelle tracks performance metrics through the Track Helix platform, monitoring enrollment numbers, credential attainment rates, and student persistence in manufacturing pathways. That data will inform future pathway programs statewide.
An advisory board including Intel, Jobs Ohio, the Ohio Manufacturing Association, Columbus State Community College, and the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce guides the initiative, ensuring alignment with real workforce needs.
Impact
The Manufacturing Pathways Pilot demonstrates how targeted investment, combined with cross-sector collaboration, can address workforce shortages at scale. The model is designed for replication: Build partnerships, align credentials to industry needs, and track outcomes.
Ohio’s manufacturing future depends on today’s students choosing these careers. This pilot is making that choice visible.
Interested in workforce-aligned education partnerships?
Contact us to explore how the Manufacturing Pathways model could work in your state.
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