Targeted Education Aims to Fill Gaps in Local Workforce

Millstream Career Center’s $3.4 Million STREAM Expansion to Show Kids the Possibilities in Manufacturing

By Sarah Mayle

Manufacturing is the top employer in Hancock County, but as a misunderstood industry, is experiencing a critical need for skilled workers. Through the newly constructed STREAM Center – a $3.4 million expansion for manufacturing programs – leaders at Millstream Career Center are taking aim at that gap in the workforce.

Pam Hamlin, director of Millstream Career Center.

“I think there is a stigma that manufacturing is dark and dirty and dingy, that it’s assembly line work and that is all,” said Millstream Director Pam Hamlin. “There is so much that goes into manufacturing, so many different career opportunities that could be a great fit for a variety of students. We want kids to see what that can look like.”

The 10,837-square-foot STREAM Center houses Millstream’s new Manufacturing and Robotics program and provides additional space for its expanded Engineering and Robotics program, both of which will showcase the wide array of careers that make manufacturing possible. Like in other Millstream programs, students will earn industry certifications and credentials, college credit, and work experience through hands-on learning.

STREAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Automation and Manufacturing. The center was funded by a grant through Ohio’s Career Technical Construction Program, which supports technical school facility expansion and equipment upgrade. Marathon Petroleum Corporation and TRAK Machine Tools each also contributed $100,000 towards the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment. Leeward Energy of Arcadia and RPM Carbide Die, Findlay, were contributors as well.

“The state has been pushing these in-demand fields, and our local business and industry partners also really want kids to get exposure to these fields,” Hamlin said. “When the chance for funding for this came up, we knew it was time. I think it’s going to be easier to attract students to these fields now that they have something to see, and I think our business and industry partners understand we’re serious about helping build a workforce, and they will come alongside us as we further develop the programs.

“We can continue to talk about workforce shortages or we can do something about it.”

The Millstream Advantage

Millstream is open to juniors and seniors in high school and serves 14 school districts in Hancock, Putnam and Wyandot counties, with 860 students enrolled. Hamlin said they were able to take 160 more students this year than last and still have about 100 students on a waiting list.

Through a hands-on approach, Millstream’s goal is to provide students with the technical skills, knowledge, and training to succeed in future careers. Students can earn free college credit, industry certifications and credentials, and gain real-world experience toward their careers whether they chose to directly enter the workforce after high school or go on to further education. They also have the opportunity to be involved outside of the classroom – in competitions, clubs and other career-related activities.

Fifteen programs are currently available at Millstream that fluctuate based on community needs and the job market. They are: Agriculture; Automotive Technology; IT Professions; Construction Skills; Cosmetology; Creative Arts and Entrepreneurship; Culinary Arts; Engineering and Robotics; Health Professions; Hospitality and Restaurant Services; Job Training; Manufacturing and Industrial Robotics; Media Production and Visual Design; Teaching Professions; and Welding.

“So often, we measure success as they walk across the graduation stage,” Hamlin said. “That is one piece of success, but the other piece is, ‘Are they leaving with a plan?’ One of my biggest pet peeves is the idea of preparing kids for ‘college or career.’ It should all be ‘career’ – we’re preparing all kids to be career-ready no matter what they do, and to dream about what’s next.

“The world is out there – there are so many jobs out there to be discovered. We help them figure it all out.”

Sometimes, Hamlin said, students have an interest in a certain field but through exploration find they don’t have the aptitude. Or, through Millstream’s Career Assessment or exploration of programs, students can discover an aptitude they didn’t know they had and dabble in career pathways that take advantage of that strength. Either way, they can gain satisfaction and save a great deal of time and money by exploring in high school, she said.

“What are your interests? What aptitudes do you have? We can help you get excited about possibilities,” Hamlin said. “So often in our educational system we teach, teach, teach but we don’t show. At Millstream we have a three-step process of teach, show and do, leading kids to discover what they really like and what they are really good at. We want them to go on to a job they truly love where they will flourish.”

For each Millstream program, there is an advisory board of 8 to 15 local business and industry partners. Millstream leaders and teachers meet with the board formally once or twice a year for feedback – What’s new in the industry? Is there anything coming down the line that we need to be aware of? Hamlin said informally teachers contact business partners often to stay as current as possible, and invite representatives into the classroom for demonstrations. Most business partners are investors – donating equipment to ensure students are learning on the most up-to-date technology possible.

A Collaborative Approach to Workforce

Hamlin sits on the board for Raise the Bar Hancock County, which partners with local stakeholders – leaders in business, industry and health care; the social service sector; policy makers; and educators – to advance workforce excellence. RTB develops and implements strategies to grow workforce talent along a cradle-to-career continuum.

An important initiative Hamlin highlighted is RTB’s Summer Educator Experience. During the program, educators visit local companies to learn about the almost infinite, ever-evolving careers available right in Hancock County. The teachers can then share that knowledge with their students and show them how skills learned in the classroom will apply to future careers. RTB has had a positive impact on the local workforce.

“So many initiatives have come out of conversations through Raise the Bar,” Hamlin said. “As another example, a few years ago we learned there was a huge need locally for mental health technicians. We came back to Millstream with the goal to fill that void. We changed our whole content and curriculum that we offer, and now our students take a mental health course that they get certified in.”

The STREAM expansion to facilitate Manufacturing and Robotics and expand Engineering and Robotics is also aimed at filling a void. Tricia Valasek, executive director of RTB, has high hopes for its impact.

Tricia Valasek, director of Raise the Bar Hancock County.

“Anytime we can equip kids with a new perspective, a new opinion, some new hands-on skills or just some everyday knowledge is a win – it’s about being exposed,” Valasek said. “There are so many jobs in manufacturing that don’t involve being on the production floor. For example, we want students to see that there are people who design the flow of how a product moves from one end of the line to the next, or people who design packaging so a product can ship with its lowest weight…there are so many manufacturing jobs out there. Once kids get the exposure, our local jobs should be filled more quickly.”

In her role as executive director of Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development, Chris Keller also works closely with RTB and other community partners to ensure a strong workforce continues to support local businesses. On a personal level, she and her husband, Scott Keller, started the Keller Family Millstream Tools for the Trades fund through the Community Foundation, an award that will provide equipment and tools needed by graduating Millstream Career Center students to successfully embark in a career in the skilled trades.

Chris Keller, executive director of Findlay Hancock County Economic Development

“Technology continues to evolve so quickly that it’s essential to have a partner like Millstream that is so responsive to change,” Keller said.  “The new programs geared toward manufacturing are a great step toward attracting more students to fields where we need them in Hancock County. There is a great energy at Millstream – we applaud the positive impact they make on our workforce and the overall strength of our community.”

 A Bright Future

Students and staff were busy the first few days of school moving into the STREAM Center, which was completed just days before the school year began on Aug. 14. Leah Schaaf, a senior enrolled in Manufacturing and Robotics worked alongside her teacher for the program, Tom Burnworth.  Schaaf will attend college next year.

“I’m excited about this new space and the projects we’ll be able to do,” Schaaf said. “I don’t know what type yet, but I know I like engineering, and I want to major in it in college.”

Schaaf learned about robotics and engineering in middle school with teacher Blake Delaney, who has since become the Engineering and Robotics teacher at Millstream, working with Burnworth in the new space. Burnworth and Hamlin said Schaaf is a prime example of a student who got important career exposure at a young age and can now envision herself in the field.

“I’m excited about the opportunities these kids will have in the new space to experience so many different things,” Burnworth said. “They need this exposure to be able to see themselves in these roles. Our industry partners understand that and as a result they support us financially and by coming in and working with the kids. They really are investing in the future workforce, growing students for their future needs.”

In true Millstream fashion, seniors enrolled in last year’s construction program helped build one of the walls of the STREAM Center. The architects showed and explained the blueprints to the students, and they were able to learn about masonry by ‘doing.’

“That was really cool,” Hamlin said. “I know they enjoyed the experience. The only downside is they were our seniors and so much was completed over the summer. They weren’t able to see our whole build and the final product – so hopefully they’ll stop back and see us. I think they would be pretty excited about what we’ve got here, especially knowing they played a part in it.”

The companies that built the STREAM Center are: Architect Garmann Miller, Minster, OH; Project Manager, Touchstone, Lima; Contractors Tuttle Construction, Lima; Slagle Mechanical, Sidney; Koester Electric, Coldwater, OH; Shambaugh & Son, Cincinnati; Tri-State Construction, Montpelier; Edward L. Myers Painting, Findlay; T & D Interiors, Lima; Vernon Nagel, Inc., Napoleon; 5 Angle Construction, Columbus Grove; Bigelow Glass, Findlay; Cotterman Roofing, Minster; and Quality Overhead Door, Findlay.