3 years; 500+ conversations with local employers.
What is the number 1 feedback we hear?

“We’re hiring… but we can’t find the right people, and when we do, it’s hard to get them to show up consistently or stay long-term.”

In parallel, we are working closely with our education and workforce partners, schools, training providers, and organizations that are preparing students and job seekers for careers.

So the question becomes:
How do we better connect employers’ needs with the talent already here, and create pathways that keep them engaged in the long term?

Our core observations
There’s no shortage of effort. There are strong programs, committed partners, and a shared desire to solve workforce challenges.
But too often, those efforts aren’t fully aligned with what employers need right now.
Employers aren’t hiring “program graduates”; they’re hiring for specific roles, with specific requirements, and often on tight timelines.
And beyond hiring, retention remains a challenge, especially when employees don’t clearly see a clear path to grow within a company.

How We’re Approaching It
At Aerozone, we help make those connections between employers, educators, and workforce partners so we can move from conversations to actual hires and long-term success.

Through our Aerozone Talent Partners (ATP) effort, we’re taking a more direct and practical approach:

  • Starting with real, open jobs
    Not hypothetical roles, but current hiring needs
  • Working with employers to define what success looks like
    Skills, experience, pay, and screening criteria
  • Connecting those needs to the right partners
    Including Polaris Career Center, Lorain County JVS, Max Hayes High School, Baldwin Wallace, CSU, Tri-C, Argonaut, and others
  • Connecting employers to training dollars and workforce solutions
    Through partners like Greater Cleveland Works, which helps identify funding and candidate pipelines, and Towards Employment, which provides support services that improve retention and long-term success for employees.
  • Creating a feedback loop
    So we can adjust quickly and improve outcomes together
  • Staying engaged
    Through ongoing conversations, not one-time meetings

What This Looks Like in Action
We’re starting to see this come together across the region:

  • With Curtiss-Wright, we’ve had conversations about roles like wiring harness assemblers, and we’ve also explored wage competitiveness and how to better position those opportunities.
  • With Brewer-Garrett, we’re strengthening connections to HVAC training programs to support both immediate hiring and long-term pipeline needs.
  • Companies like Dearborn are posting opportunities on the Aerozone Jobs Platform, helping increase visibility and access for local candidates.
  • And partners like Argonaut, CSU, Tri-C, Lorain County JVS, and Polaris are looking for more direct ways to connect students to real employer needs, not just general career exploration.

Case Study Spotlight: Momentive Technologies

What started as a conversation around hiring challenges has quickly turned into action.

Momentive Technologies is now connected with Greater Cleveland Works for candidate sourcing and access to training resources, engaged with Lorain County JVS to build a workforce pipeline, and exploring training alignment through Cleveland State University’s TransDigm Advanced Manufacturing Center.

The result: Lorain County JVS to explore a pathway for high-demand high-voltage electrical roles, a critical need for their operations. And partners like Threescore Agency, helping attract experienced, out-of-town talent back to Northeast Ohio for these highly skilled positions.

We’ve also connected Momentive to Cleveland State University’s Ohio Export Assistance Program, providing access to student interns focused on global trade and export operations, along with grant support to help offset wages.

This has already resulted in the hiring of a Cleveland State University student to support international market expansion—turning a connection into immediate impact. The program is also helping Momentive navigate tariffs and shifting global trade dynamics, providing real-time support as they grow internationally.

Just as important, this internship is building a pipeline for future talent. With the student entering their senior year, this creates a clear pathway to full-time roles such as Trade Compliance Analyst and other supply chain-focused positions, directly aligning with Momentive’s ongoing hiring needs.

Momentive currently has over 20 open positions posted on the Aerozone Jobs Platform, ranging from skilled trades and maintenance roles to engineering, HR, administrative, and technical positions, highlighting both immediate hiring needs and long-term workforce demand.

This is what it looks like when employers, educators, and workforce partners are aligned around real hiring needs.

Why This Matters
From where we sit, workforce development works best when it’s grounded in relationships and real-time information. It’s not just about filling jobs, it’s about building pathways where employees can see a future.

When employers are engaged, expectations are clear, and partners are aligned, we start to see a stronger connection between:
interest → training → employment → retention → growth

What’s Next
We’re continuing to build on this, one conversation, one connection at a time.
As more employers share their needs and more partners lean in, we have a real opportunity to strengthen the talent pipeline across the Aerozone and support long-term growth in our region.

Call to Action

If you’re hiring or planning to, we should connect.

Start by posting your jobs on the Aerozone platform, and let’s set up a time to talk through your needs and how we can support your team.
https://jobs.theaerozone.org/

Already hiring? Even better, let’s make sure you’re seeing the right candidates, not just more candidates.

Mary Jo Schmidt
Director of Business Engagement
Aerozone Alliance