The High-Tech Shift: How Tri-C Preps Cleveland Workers for Modern Manufacturing

Manufacturing remains a core part of the Northeast Ohio economy, but the work now relies on automation, data analytics, cybersecurity and AI rather than the “dingy, dark, dirty” factory floors many people equate with it. Employers are struggling to find workers with the skills those jobs require. Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) responded with its Smart Manufacturing program, which launched the College’s first bachelor’s degree in 2024, a Bachelor of Applied Science in Integrated Digital Manufacturing Engineering Technology (IDMET). Graduates qualify for positions in the industry with an $80,000 per year median salary.

• Manufacturing is still the heart of the Northeast Ohio economy, but it is now a technical, technology-driven sector.

• Ohio ranks third in the nation, after California and Texas, for manufacturing sites and manufacturing employment.

• Manufacturing accounts for 17% of Ohio’s GDP and 700,000 workers, according to the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association.

• Cuyahoga County has the highest concentration of manufacturing employment in Ohio, with more than 1,600 companies.

• Tri-C’s Smart Manufacturing program offers an associate degree and, since 2024, a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Digital Manufacturing Engineering Technology.

• The bachelor’s degree combines a dozen specialties and embeds more than 30 certifications, including some specific to Northeast Ohio employers.

Manufacturing in Northeast Ohio is cleaner, brighter and far more automated than it used to be. It still anchors the regional economy, even as conversation shifts toward gig work, AI and other economic development buzzwords.

“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,” says Ray Nejadfard, dean of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering at Tri-C.

That picture is outdated, says Nejadfard, a 33-year industry veteran.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

Today, manufacturing means less grime and more gleaming surfaces, fewer hard hats and more robots. It offers a better quality of work for those qualified to do it.

Manufacturing is one of the largest parts of Ohio’s economy, and Northeast Ohio is a major hub.

• 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.

• The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association estimates manufacturing accounts for 17% of Ohio’s GDP and 700,000 workers.

• Cuyahoga County has the state’s highest concentration of manufacturing employment, home to more than 1,600 companies.

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

“There are many headquarters in Northeast Ohio that people don't even talk about or think about,” Nejadfard says.

Manufacturing is struggling to find workers because the jobs have become technical and employers need people with skills in areas like cybersecurity, automation, analytics and data analysis.

The overall number of workers in the field has fallen over the years due to automation and other technologies. That does not mean there is no work. It means there is different work, and skilled workers are in high demand.

Tri-C developed its Smart Manufacturing program to meet that demand. The program offers an associate degree and, as of 2024, the College’s first bachelor’s degree: a Bachelor of Applied Science in Integrated Digital Manufacturing Engineering Technology (IDMET).

The degree is built around the idea that manufacturing workers need range. “Today, the expectation is that you need more than one thing,” Nejadfard says. “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.”

Tri-C worked with industry partners to develop the curriculum so it meets emerging workforce needs in Northeast Ohio. The degree:

• Combines a dozen specialties, including electrical, mechanical and network engineering and cybersecurity

• Embeds more than 30 certifications, providing different career pathways

• Includes certifications specific to Northeast Ohio companies, such as a Parker Hannifin certification in hydraulics and pneumatics

Graduates of the bachelor’s program are qualified for a variety of positions in the industry with an $80,000 per year median salary. Manufacturing continues to offer stable employment with competitive wages and room to grow.

Employers want to do more with fewer people, which raises the value of workers with broad, current skills.

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

Yes. Manufacturing remains a core part of the Northeast Ohio economy. Cuyahoga County has the state’s highest concentration of manufacturing employment, with more than 1,600 companies.

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association estimates manufacturing accounts for 17% of Ohio’s GDP and 700,000 workers. Ohio ranks third in the nation, after California and Texas, for manufacturing sites and employment.

Industry 4.0, also called the Fourth Industrial Revolution or 4IR, is the shift toward smart technology in manufacturing, including the Internet of Things, cloud computing, data analytics and AI.

Manufacturing jobs now require technical skills in areas like cybersecurity, automation, analytics and data analysis. Automation has reduced the overall number of workers needed, but the work that remains is different and requires more skills.

Tri-C’s Smart Manufacturing program offers an associate degree and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Integrated Digital Manufacturing Engineering Technology (IDMET), which launched in 2024 as the College's first bachelor's degree. A bridge program moves those who have earned an associate degree through to the bachelor’s degree program.

The degree combines a dozen specialties, including electrical, mechanical and network engineering and cybersecurity, and embeds more than 30 certifications. Some are specific to Northeast Ohio companies, such as a Parker Hannifin certification in hydraulics and pneumatics.

Graduates are qualified for a variety of industry positions with an $80,000 per year median salary.

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