TCTC now a site for certifying in-demand careers

WARREN, Ohio - Job seekers and employers now have the option of a one-stop shop for career certifications.

The Trumbull Career and Technical Center is joining a statewide network of close to a dozen locations that offer testing. It's now one of almost a dozen official sites in the University System of Ohio Talent Development Network that offers access to hundreds of tests.

"They can do a career pathway test, that tells them what type of career is best for them, then they can come to training," Vicki Thompson said, director of the Adult Education Center at TCTC.

Offering the certifications and tests locally will save businesses and job candidates time and money that they would have spent otherwise on travel expenses to conduct the tests.

Some exams focus on fields including manufacturing, IT, mechanical and machinery.

Business leaders say the pressure is on to find talent in fields that are also in demand in the gas and oil industry.

"Now we need even more people, because we're all trying to pull from the same well-trained talented pool," Dale Foerster said, vice president of Starr Manufacturing in Vienna.

With many in the trades aging and eyeing retirement, Foerster says local and on-site testing will help train a new wave of workers.

"Because we are needing to accelerate the training time that we used to have the luxury of taking to teach somebody those skills, we need a lot of people quickly and so, we really do need to hone in on the specifics that a person needs in order to succeed," Foerster said.

Becoming skilled in a trade, like welding, often takes years to master through apprenticeships and as journeyman.

To narrow in on what skills need tweaking, it's hoped the testing results will quickly lead to passing grades.