A group of students from White Oak High School in Brown County got a first-hand look at possible careers during a tour of Milacron’s Mt. Orab and South Afton facilities on Feb. 1.
Clermont County Community + Economic Development (CED) connected Milacron with The GRIT Project, leading to the tour. The GRIT Project partners with local school districts to assess students’ strengths and weaknesses in an effort to connect them with potential employment opportunities that align with their skillsets,
“Community + Economic Development has met with Milacron a number of times of the last couple of years,” said Scott Gafvert, CED Development Specialist. “Milacron has struggled to find the workforce they need, like all companies nationwide, but have been extremely proactive in utilizing community stakeholders and their connections in an attempt to diversify their workforce attraction efforts.”
Gafvert came into contact with representatives from The GRIT Project and connected program leaders to Milacron. After a couple of meetings between Milacron, GRIT and CED, GRIT decided to arrange a visit to Milacron for a group of students from a yet-to-be-identified local school. That group ended up being from White Oak High School.
“I know they were very appreciative of the Mt. Orab and Afton facility tours, getting to meet and speak with a variety of staff, managers, and leadership at each location as well,” said Julie Marks Dick, GRIT program manager. “We will be following up with the students to get a better gauge of who might be ready to move forward with Milacron.”