Tri-C Responds to Needs of Evolving NEO Manufacturing Sector

The story of Northeast Ohio is rooted in its “Rust Belt” heritage. Totems of this history line the shores of Lake Erie.  

But as chatter trends toward gig work, AI and any other buzzwords that are trumpeted as the next big thing in economic development, where does that leave manufacturing? 

Turns out, the heart of it all still beats thanks to manufacturing. It just looks different these days.  

NEO manufacturing today 

“A lot of us remember manufacturing the way our parents and grandparents used to work in it — a dingy, dark, dirty environment that wasn’t very desirable,” said Ray Nejadfard, dean of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®). 

“Manufacturing has completely changed. Those dingy spots have been brightened up with automation and technology,” Nejadfard, a 33-year industry veteran, said. “I’ve been in places where you could eat off the floor, almost like a hospital.” 

Today, manufacturing is less grime and more gleaming surfaces, fewer hard hats and more robots. It is safer, more productive and offers a better quality of work — for those who are qualified to do it. 

Manufacturing is in the midst of what is called variously Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and 4IR. Smart technology, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, data analytics and AI have radically redefined the sector. 

These technologies create safer work environments, improve productivity, allow manufacturers to be more nimble with improved quality control, and have changed the skill set required of the industry’s workers. 

And business is booming.  

"If you talk to 10 manufacturing companies, all 10 of them are going to tell you they need people." — Ray Najadfard, dean, Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering"

“Northeast Ohio has everything it needs to lead the world in smart manufacturing,” states a 2021 Team NEO economic report. 

Ohio is third in the nation, after California and Texas, for the number of manufacturing sites and the number of people employed in the sector. Ohio is second in the nation in the production of automobile parts and aerospace tooling. 

“There are many headquarters in Northeast Ohio that people don’t even talk about or think about,” Nejadfard said. “Quite a few of them are international companies.”  

Sherwin-Williams, Swagelok Company and Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. are three of the biggest in the area. 

“There are companies that are multinational,” Nejadfard said. “They could have a manufacturing location in China, a manufacturing location in South America, a few in the U.S., maybe even a couple in Europe. So, it’s across the whole world, and cybersecurity has become a big issue and problem.”  

According to a report by Thomas Inc., an industrial sourcing platform, between 2020 and 2023, the Ohio manufacturing sector achieved 8.5% growth in GDP, a 5.8% growth in employment and a 13.5% increase in average weekly wages.  

“Ohio manufacturing is enjoying a renaissance,” the company says.    

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association estimates that manufacturing accounts for 17% of the state’s GDP and 700,000 workers. Cuyahoga County has the state’s highest concentration of manufacturing employment, home to more than 1,600 companies. The county’s manufacturing sector employed 65,418 people in 2023 or 9.3% of the county’s workforce.  

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association’s 2025 economic impact report states, “The manufacturing sector contributes to Ohioans’ quality of life by providing a payroll totaling $49.9 billion, the highest total annual wages of any Ohio sector; $55.8 billion in exported products to 210 countries and territories; and cleaner environment through decreased emissions and increased recycling.” 

Help wanted 

As much as anything, manufacturing is a technical sector today, as cybersecurity, automation, analytics and data analysis play bigger and bigger roles in production. So, while entry-level, unskilled positions are not as plentiful, skilled workers are in high demand. What’s more, manufacturing in NEO is a space where workers can earn good wages with solid advancement opportunities.  

Yet, manufacturing is starved for qualified people to fill vacancies.  

“If you talk to 10 manufacturing companies, all 10 of them are going to tell you they need people,” Nejadfard said.  

While the overall number of workers in the field has fallen over the years due to automation and other technologies, this doesn’t mean there is no work. It means there is different work. “In-demand skills” is a buzzy phrase itself, but in manufacturing here, the struggle to find job candidates who have them is real. 

Absorbing computers and robotics created a host of new technical demands. Traditionally, an entry-level worker would move up the ladder as they gained experience, but as workers neared or are nearing retirement, the entry-level positions have not been filled at the same rate, creating a gap in the middle.  

“The industry is missing a staggering number of people,” Nejadfard said “It can stay afloat due to things like automation, but the reality is it needs more people.” 

Skills to pay the bills 

In response, Tri-C developed its Smart Manufacturing program. In 2024, the program launched the College’s first bachelor’s degree, a Bachelor of Applied Science in Integrated Digital Manufacturing Engineering Technology (IDMET). The Smart Manufacturing program also offers an associate degree and a bridge program to help two-year degree holders attain the bachelor’s degree. 

“I remember in the ’80s and ’90s, you had mechanical guys, you had electrical guys, you had IT guys,” Nejadfard said. “You had all kinds of different types of engineers, and everybody was specialized.  

“Today, the expectation is that you need more than one thing. You need to be able to perform a little bit more than just one field of expertise. Our graduates are the translators, if you will, between the mechanical workers, electrical workers and the IT workers.” 

In developing the bachelor’s curriculum, Tri-C worked with industry partners to ensure it was meeting emerging workforce needs in Northeast Ohio. The curriculum combines the expertise of a dozen specialties, including electrical, mechanical and network engineering, cybersecurity, cloud security, enterprise security and design. More than 30 certifications are embedded in the degree, providing different career pathways and dynamic skills.  

Nejadfard said the IDMET bachelor’s degree was the only one in the country to combine mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and cybersecurity elements in a single degree program. 

“We place a huge emphasis on the lab, and I'm proud of the lab,” Nejadfard said. “We have better labs than a lot of four-year institutions.” 

Courses are taught using industry-standard platforms and equipment, and many of the embedded certifications are specific to Northeast Ohio companies — a Parker Hannifin certification in hydraulics and pneumatics, for example. 

The Smart Manufacturing program offers lots of hands-on learning, so when a student walks on the job, they are ready to get to work.  

Graduates of the bachelor’s program are qualified for a variety of positions in the industry with an $80,000 per year median salary. 

“The industry is looking for people who have mechanical skills, they have electrical skills, but they also are much more aware of all the cybersecurity problems,” Nejadfard said. “You can get hacked through an air compressor.” 
 

Here for the long haul 

Manufacturing is not going anywhere. Its legacy is still being written, especially in NEO, by people who can embrace and understand new technologies and the way they work in a foundational industry sector. 

As ever, manufacturing is a space that offers stable employment with competitive wages and room to grow.  

“Everyone wants to do more with fewer people,” Nejadfard said. “The industry needs knowledgeable people, and Tri-C is positioned to provide them.” 

August 19, 2026