United Way of Greater Cincinnati and the GE Aerospace Foundation have selected six local organizations for the second year of the Future of Manufacturing Fund, a program designed to expand training and job placement in advanced manufacturing.
The fund helps people explore careers in advanced manufacturing by connecting them with hands-on workforce development programs. Grants give partner organizations the resources they need to grow enrollment, helping more participants complete training and land good-paying jobs.
Partners receive both funding – grant amounts weren’t disclosed – and technical support to grow their proven programs and develop new ones, helping expand successful solutions so more people can benefit.
The Year II grantees are:
- Advanced Manufacturing Industry Partnership (AMIP): Expands workforce development through K-12 outreach, employer programs, technical training, credentialing, and job placement.
- Cincinnati State: Boosts enrollment with hands-on demo equipment and short-term certificate programs aligned with hiring needs.
- Dan Beard Council, Scouting America: Offers youth training in welding, electrical, HVAC and robotics, connecting them to apprenticeships and careers.
- Gateway Community & Technical College: Aligns curriculum with industry demands, expands hybrid programs like robotic welding and strengthens employer partnerships.
- LEAD Training: Guides 300-plus students into STEM, pre-apprenticeships, and manufacturing careers, placing at least 75 in jobs.
- Learning Grove: Connects underrepresented students to manufacturing careers through camps, mentoring, work-based learning and job shadowing.
Riley O’Grady, founder of LEAD Training, said the fund helps organizations collaborate rather than work in isolation.
“The ability to come together with others to work on different events, to connect with more employers, to connect with more students through various activities is what makes this program great,” said O’Grady, whose organization was a Year I and II grantee. “I felt like that’s the piece that is sometimes missing – that we’re not really connecting the dots; we’re working in isolation, so I felt very empowered by this process.”
Exposing jobseekers to in-demand jobs
The GE Aerospace Foundation, an independent charitable organization funded by GE Aerospace, supports engineering education, workforce development and disaster relief while complementing the company’s mission to lift up communities where employees live and work.
The Foundation supported the launch of the Future of Manufacturing Fund last year with a $1 million grant to support the initiative for at least three years. Their goal was to expand high-quality workforce development in response to rising demand in the aviation and advanced manufacturing sectors.
In its second year, the fund will deepen its focus on credentialing, job placement and employer partnerships.
“Investing in workforce development programs is part of how we lift people up in the communities where we live and work,” said Meghan Thurlow, GE Aerospace Foundation president. “We are excited to help connect the dots and maximize the impact Cincinnati workforce leaders can have throughout the area, to ensure area workers are ready to build the future of flight.”
Already making an impact
Since its launch, the fund has introduced nearly 4,600 people to careers in advanced manufacturing, according to United Way of Greater Cincinnati. So far, 64% of participants have enrolled in advanced manufacturing training or education, and 77% have secured jobs in the field.
The results so far show the fund is helping people move into meaningful careers, while strengthening the region’s talent pipeline, according to Moira Weir, United Way’s president and CEO.
“With 82% of participants completing training and more than three out of four securing credentials essential for employment in this field, we are proving that this initiative is creating real pathways into advanced manufacturing careers,” Weir said.
United Way of Greater Cincinnati works to promote educational success, financial empowerment, and housing security for individuals across nine counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. With the Future of Manufacturing Fund, the United Way hopes to help open doors for young people and adults transitioning careers, strengthening both individual opportunity and the region’s workforce.
“This partnership is addressing a critical gap in our region’s workforce while opening doors for young people and adults transitioning careers,” Weir said. “By strengthening our talent pipeline, we are also making our region more competitive and resilient for the future.”
United Way of Greater Cincinnati
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