It seems practically everybody is looking for employees, said Tammy Keller, whose title is job developer with OhioMeansJobs Clinton County.
At the May quarterly meeting of the Clinton County Workforce Partners, Keller mentioned several existing big local employers that are especially active in seeking workers: New Sabina Industries, TimberTech (aka Azek), and Alkermes, which is still in an expansion mode.
At a Community Job Fair held in May in Wilmington, more than 40 businesses were promoting more than 1,200 job openings in the area, many situated in Clinton County.
And that didn’t even include Amazon, Keller remarked.
Amazon will open an air gateway this summer at the Wilmington Air Park where packages will be sorted for the e-commerce giant.
Lest there be any doubt, an excitement for Amazon’s new operations in Wilmington has presented itself among would-be employees, reported Keller.
At a couple April job information sessions, Amazon representatives told her their goal is to hire 700 to 800 people with most of those starting around mid-June.
Keller said some area employers have acknowledged they’re worried about how the new presence of Amazon may impact the local job market, fearing it will make it harder for some of the other employers in the area to attract and keep workers.
But on the flip side, there are local companies laying off employees, sometimes due to corporate acquisitions, Keller reported.
About 30 people at the MB Financial facility on Rombach Avenue in Wilmington lost their jobs when their positions were eliminated as a result of Fifth Third’s acquisition of MB Financial.
CCPI Inc. on Cherry Street in Blanchester was bought. Thirty individuals there will lose their jobs by the end of June, leaving only six employees. CCPI was founded in 1957. It produces thermocouples and thermocouple assemblies for temperature measurement, states the CCPI website.
And Technicolor in Wilmington has announced it will lay off 59 workers. According to Keller, a lot of those people have been with Technicolor quite a while, some since graduating from high school.
So at the same Clinton County Workforce Partners meeting, Workforce Services Unlimited Executive Director Pamela G. Hively noted that fortunately there are jobs available if local people do get laid off. She also said Rapid Response (RR) dollars are available.
Clinton County Job & Family Services Director Kathi Spirk said when companies lay off workers, OhioMeansJobs Clinton County basically has a Rapid Response team to assist. Even very small businesses and their workers are eligible.
Rapid Response is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. RR is dedicated to averting layoffs as well as to reemployment after layoffs. RR serves both employers and their workforce. Services may include customized workshops, training, up-skilling, retooling, certifications or skill matching.
Keller said there’s a tremendous need for home healthcare workers and STNAs (State-Tested Nurse Aides). There is a high turnover in that field, she said, so it’s hard to keep fully staffed.
It also was mentioned at the meeting that the Census Bureau is in need of workers, and is hiring in Clinton County for the 2020 census. Census jobs offer flexible hours, weekly pay, paid training, and wages ranging from $14 to $23 per hour. Apply online at 2020census.gov/jobs .
The available U.S. Census Bureau positions include canvassers, supervisory positions, telephone receptionists, and office personnel.
The OhioMeansJobs’ Employment & Training Center is a unit of Clinton County Job & Family Services (JFS), and is within the JFS building in Wilmington at 1025 South South Street (U.S. Route 68), Suite 500.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
