The future of our community rests on the availability of jobs and career paths. In the past, the Mahoning Valley was known for its steel industry. Today, most of the steel industry is gone from our area; an identity we had is now lost. In more recent times, industries that employed thousands of people, including the Lordstown General Motors plant, are closed and left vacant.
As we are coping with the loss of these jobs, we must also take an initiative to find a new identity for the Mahoning Valley, such as additive manufacturing.
Additive manufacturing basically encompasses the digital design and printing of a 3D object. Believe it or not, we already have a facility in Youngstown, Ohio, that has a giant 3D printer. This facility is America Makes.
America Makes is the nation’s leading and collaborative partner in additive manufacturing. Another source of promise in Youngstown is a conglomerate of leading institutions, including Youngstown State University, establishing a center that will be an advanced manufacturing and workforce training facility known as the Excellence Training Center.
With the technology surrounding us and the educational opportunities available, additive manufacturing can be the next job revolution that will redefine the Mahoning Valley. By educating the population of our area about the opportunities surrounding additive manufacturing, we cannot only gain support but also interest in choosing additive manufacturing as a career.
-– Rocco Core
Senior Nursing student