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Innovative Workforce Training Programs Leading to Regional Talent Resurgence

Huntington, WV is quickly becoming a center for skilled workforce development and for finding technical talent.  The greater Huntington area supports an array of unique technical training programs focused on 21st century skills development in engineering, technology, software development and advanced manufacturing, among others.  Taking advantage of these technical training programs as well as a host of talent development resources lead by state and local agencies and non-profits, more than a few companies are betting on Huntington as the place to find next generation talent. 

 

Betting on Huntington

One of the companies demonstrating confidence with Huntington as a place to find skilled and technical talent is Core10.   Core10 is a fast-growing software company providing innovative solutions in the field of financial technology.  Core10 has expanded its Huntington office to include close to 30 team members since its launch in 2016 and the company continues to hire, posting several senior level developer positions in the past month alone.  The Huntington location is now the company’s largest office.  Part of the company’s success has been in its ability to grow its local talent pipeline sourced through various state and local talent streams.  The opportunity is here, but more people need to hear that message. 

“There’s a very high quality of education provided in the area, yet most people feel they have to leave to have a true technology career,” says Lee Farabaugh, Co-Founder and President of Core10.  “We believed that if we could provide that kind of career right there in WV, it would benefit Core10 as well as the community.

Figure 1 Core10 Senior Staff Meet with State Economic Development Officials

 

Education that Works

It may not seem like it, but education is certainly an area of strength for the region.   Huntington sits on the border of Ohio and Kentucky, drawing talent across those borders from eleven state and community and technical colleges within a one-hour drive time. These institutions represent more than 40,000 enrolled students annually in 2020 even in the midst of a pandemic.  Marshall University represents nearly 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students as of 2020, including those enrolled in its highly regarded engineering and technology programs.   Marshall University also ranks inside the top 6% of universities nationally for research awards and has developed a number of training partnerships with area businesses including a new internship Co-Op program for its engineering and computer science program students.

The internship Co-Op at Marshall University’s College of Engineering and Computer Sciences is a joint venture between the university and private industry throughout the region.  The Co-Op program connects students with semester long job opportunities in their field at a partnering company in the area.  Students are expected to work 35 hours per week for the employer partner who pays their hourly wage rate.  Local companies such as Special Metals, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Blue Ink Tech, Alcon Laboratories, and American Babbitt Bearing, are participants in the program with more companies expected to join this year. 

“Our engineering and computer science programs are an ideal fit for this co-op model, says Tanner Drown, Co-Op Coordinator for the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences.”  “This is especially true in this region which supports so many advanced manufacturing jobs.”

There is definitely employer demand for this program and given the benefits to both employers and students, if the Co-Op is successful there is every chance the university can expand this model campus-wide.  The program helps employer partners fill short-term skills needs as well as granting new hires a trial period of sorts before being considered for long term employment.  Alternatively, the program gives students a chance to network with businesses and to build industry skills while still seeking their degree.  Because of these benefits, the program is viewed as a strong recruitment and retention tool for new and graduating students.

“Many students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields are searching for universities that will give them an opportunity for that professional experience which will produce marketable and competitive skills in industry,” says Drown.  “By offering Co-Op through Marshall University’s College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, we are opening doors for students. Graduates will not only leave Marshall University with a diploma in hand, they will have the experience required to immediately join the workforce in their chosen fields.”

While the semester long Co-Op doesn’t count as hours toward the completion of a degree, incoming students can tailor their academic plans around their Co-Op semester, potentially adding courses or enrolling in a summer semester along the way in order to graduate on time.  Students also do not accrue tuition and fees during this semester and a student’s WV Promise Scholarship as well as federal student aid will remain intact and unaffected during this time. 

Figure 2 Marshall University Students With Local Manufacutring Partners

The City of Huntington is also home to Mountwest Community and Technical College, another great education partner.  With more than 50 one-and two-year degree programs in the fields of applied technology, allied health and information technology, as well as others, Mountwest graduates students in a variety of in-demand degree fields.  The college is continually evaluating its program offerings to match employer needs.  In 2019, Mountwest partnered with Core10 and Generation West Virginia on the development of the NewForce Program, a 6-month tuition free software coding bootcamp.  Cohorts of about 15 students graduate from this program with certifications at the level of junior coder, making them ideal entry level candidates at many software and web development companies.

“They work so well with us and they deliver amazing talent,” says Farabaugh about Mountwest and about the NewForce program.  The development of the program is helping Core10 realize its mission of producing a “groundswell” of talent which will build over time with the attraction of additional industry.

The NewForce program has now graduated three cohorts, each producing quality candidates for area employers.

Figure 3 NewForce Demo Day 2019

Among other regional education partners is Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI).  RCBI offers 2-year degree programs in welding technology and machinist technology/CNC as well training programs in robotics technology and an additive manufacturing technology concentration in partnership with Mountwest’s Engineering Design Technology program.  RCBI’s machinist technology program is certified through the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS).  Through its programs, RCBI produces about 25 graduates through its two-year degree programs annually.

Equally important as its two-year certification programs however are RCBI’s customized training offerings.  RCBI offers customized training in a variety of industrial fields including CNC programing and operation, CAD/CAM, precision tool measurement and blue print reading, among many other offerings.  RCBI trains more than 900 employees around the state each year and has trained more than 26,000 individuals over the last 25 years.  To help build on the success of these programs, RCBI is a current recipient of a major federal award through Appalachian Regional Commission’s Advance Welding Workforce Initiative. Funding through this program will allow RCBI to offer much more customized welding training on-site for companies adding to its already extensive offerings.  Whether in the classroom, or on the shop floor, RCBI is helping to deliver the advanced technical training that is driving industry innovation.

 

Outstanding Partners

It’s not just outstanding education partners however helping to deliver talent to area companies.  The region hosts an impressive network of talent recruitment and development partners, from local non-profits to state-wide agencies.  Up and down the board, state and local partners are committed to producing results for private sector partners.  The region takes talent delivery very seriously.  

“We felt overwhelming support from the community, from West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust and local angel investors to the encouragement from elected officials including both US Senators, to area educational institutions, and the non-profit sector,” says Lee Farabaugh, speaking on behalf of Core10.  “We are also very grateful for the infrastructure and community development support provided by organizations like Advantage Valley, HADCO, and Generation WV. The leaders in all of these organizations are willing to listen, to craft programs that meet our needs, and to take risks to innovate in ways that benefit the community at large. I feel that whatever challenge we face, there is an organization or a person in WV who is willing to say, ‘let me help’”.  

Well said Lee and thanks!

 

Whatever your company’s challenge is, throughout the region there are ready and willing partners here to help, and that’s important.  However, it is our private sector partners, those companies creating career opportunities for skilled workers, that are contributing the most to our regional talent growth.  Without the support of industry and the long-term investment of private sector partners there would be no opportunities to build around.  Companies like Core10, Blue Ink Tech, Strictly Business Computer Systems and many others are providing the region with the kind of high wage and technically skilled job opportunities that are key to a 21st Century economy. This, more than anything, will help attract and retain the next generation of talent right here in Huntington, WV. 

For more information about how your company can connect to any of the above mentioned training partners including Marshall University’s College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, Mountwest Community and Technical College, Generation West Virginia and Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, please contact Adam Phillips, Business Development Specialist for Huntington Area Development Council and Outreach Specialist for RCBI’s Appalachian Hatchery program, via phone at (304) 525-1161, or via email at aphillips@hadco.org