Ohio is the third-largest manufacturing state in the country, responsible for over 15% of the state’s GDP and tens of thousands of open roles every year. Yet many students still imagine a 1960s factory line rather than today’s reality: robotics, AI-driven quality control, advanced materials, and aerospace innovation.
Heather Sherman, director of Battelle’s STEMx Network, put it simply:
“There’s still uncertainty… What does it mean to work in manufacturing? Students picture repetitive tasks. But in every facility I’ve been in, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration are front and center.”
She grounded the group in the numbers:
- Ohio is the 3rd-largest manufacturing state in the nation.
- Nearly 20% of the state’s GDP comes from manufacturing.
- 35,000+ jobs open every year in sectors including semiconductors, biosciences, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and automotive electrification.
Unprecedented investments from Intel, Ford, Abbott, Schaeffler, Anduril, and others signal long-term demand for STEM-skilled talent. But awareness hasn’t caught up with opportunity.
Sherman introduced Ohio’s new Manufacturing Workforce Blueprint, released by the Ohio Manufacturing Association, JobsOhio, Ohio TechNet, and others. The plan aligns five statewide strategies:
- Growing career awareness
- Increasing access to talent
- Scaling education and training
- Expanding earn-and-learn models
- Connecting systems around a shared North Star
Taken together, these priorities build toward one vision: a future-ready manufacturing workforce that can grow with the technologies reshaping the industry — not chase behind them.
A $1.76M Pilot Bringing Modern Manufacturing Into Classrooms
Battelle’s new Manufacturing Pathway Pilot Program invests $1.76M across 21 districts to directly tackle Ohio’s technician shortage by building pathways that actually reflect today’s industry needs.
Districts were selected for their readiness to:
- Build or expand a manufacturing pathway
- Partner deeply with higher ed and employers
- Provide real work-based learning
- Offer dual credit or industry-recognized credentials
- Use advising and exposure to correct outdated perceptions
What this looks like on the ground:
- Berkshire High School opened its advanced manufacturing lab to both students and adults, creating a shared community talent pipeline.
- Fredericktown High School literally tore down its library to build a state-of-the-art lab, giving students direct access to college credit and credentials.
“We have to paint a more accurate picture for students, counselors, teachers, and families, so they can see what’s possible,” said Sherman.
Teacher Externships: The Secret Ingredient for High-Quality STEM Learning
One theme kept resurfacing: students can’t pursue what the adults around them don’t understand. That’s where externships come in.
When teachers spend time inside modern facilities — seeing automation, data systems, robotics, and lean manufacturing in action — they return with a completely different sense of what STEM actually looks like on the job. Some results include:
- More authentic project-based learning
- Stronger real-world connections
- Clearer explanations of why STEM concepts matter
- Students who understand modern industry because their teachers do
Heather Sherman leads national and Ohio STEM network collaboration, driving educator-centered work-based learning including the Manufacturing Pathways Pilot, expanding manufacturing and engineering pathways across 21 Ohio districts. She equips formal and informal educators through programs like the Manufacturing and Engineering Educator Pathways (MEEP) externships. These externships connect classrooms to authentic Northeast Ohio Manufacturing opportunities.
Score with STEM 2026: A Multi-Team STEM Series
Score with STEM is expanding from a single event into a three-game series with the Cleveland Charge, Cavaliers, and Monsters, reaching more than 30,000 fans and 2,000 students and educators. This year also introduces classroom STEM kits to extend learning beyond game day, with planning beginning in January.
2026 Dates:
- March 3 – Cleveland Charge @ Cleveland Public Hall
- March 27 – Cleveland Cavaliers @ Rocket Area
- TBD (March) – Cleveland Monsters @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Coming up, on December 12, the City Club of Cleveland will host conversation with Joseph South, Mike Yates, and Crisibel Boulin. “Harnessing the Power of AI in the Classroom” will be a conversation focused on both AI skills, as well as the new learning possibilities AI unlocks. Learn More.
NEOSTEM and its partners weave manufacturing, sports tech, AI, and real-world experiences into one connected ecosystem — and this year made clear just how powerful that collaboration becomes when schools, employers, and community organizations work together to help students see themselves in Ohio’s fastest-growing industries.
Want to be part of what’s next? Subscribe to our updates to follow regional STEM initiatives and receive invitations to Score with STEM planning sessions and upcoming conversations.