Ottawa County School Districts Participate in Skilled Trades Bus Tour

On Friday, December 1, 64 high school seniors from Oak Harbor, Danbury and Genoa school districts joined the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation (OCIC) to tour seven manufacturing companies throughout Ottawa County.  The bus tour was designed to give high school seniors with an interest in skilled trades a first-hand look at local manufacturing operations and provide a better understanding of local career paths and opportunities in the skilled trade profession.  The OCIC is working with our other districts to schedule a second round of bus tours in the near future.

Davis Besse Nuclear Power Station (Oak Harbor), C. Nelson Manufacturing (Oak Harbor), 200th RED HORSE (Port Clinton), Biro Manufacturing (Marblehead), USG (Gypsum), Northern Manufacturing (Oak Harbor), and Riverside Machine & Automation (Genoa) hosted local high school seniors to provide plant tours and engage in one-on-one discussions about career opportunities in the skilled trades sector, the current and future employment needs, and the expectations employers have when looking to hire individuals.

“We really enjoyed having the kids come through. It gave them a chance to see some extremely talented fabricators working on incredible projects they quite possibly may never have had a chance to see without the bus tour,” commented Elizabeth Morrison, Human Resource Generalist at Northern Manufacturing.  “Several of the kids asked detailed and thoughtful questions regarding the types of projects we fabricate, schooling that is required to be successful and the types of salaries a fabricator in our area can make. A Genoa senior has submitted an impressive resume and we look forward to hearing from him in the Spring!”

“Our community is fortunate to have strong relationships among businesses, educators, and students and to be able to further develop these relationships into build a pipeline of our future workforce together is vital for our future,” noted Jamie Beier Grant, OCIC Director.  Ms. Beier Grant also commented, “OCIC values the work being done together with the businesses and schools, as workforce development remains a top priority locally and across the country.”

For more information about the Ottawa County Improvement Corporation, please visit www.ocic.biz or call Jamie Beier Grant at 419-898-6242.