Salem-OH

6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5 Machine, Tru-Cut, CTM Labeling, Hunt Valve, CQL Mfg., Quality Trailer, Butech-Bliss Inc. and the Salem Regional Medical Center. Although the majority of the city sits in Columbiana County, there is a portion that is located in Mahoning County. This is a workforce development advantage Needs explains. “We have the benefit of two technical training centers, the Mahoning County and the Columbiana County Career and Technical Centers, as well as Salem’s regional campus of Kent State University. We work with all three institutions on workforce development, technology, and ways to encourage students to take a look at what we have here, versus going away.” Working to overcome the negative perception of manufacturing as a career, Congressman Bill Johnson brings students from across Columbiana County into Salem, for a ‘Manufacturing your Future’ event, involving tours of facilities and a view of the remarkable opportunities in those industries. Salem’s highly-rated National High School Alumni Association is also very supportive of local students, awarding $550,000 in scholarships in 2022. The Salem Community Foundation is another valuable resource, partnering with Kent State and offering a variety of scholarships. “Here at the SOD Center, our training really fills a gap,” adds Needs. “We work more with the incumbent workforce to upskill individuals and help them on a career pathway. So, we do short-term training in the hopes of getting them into longer-term training in our career and technical centers, or in our local university.” Unique for a city of its size, Salem has a 26-officer police force and 2 canine units, as well as a full-service fire department, with 16 EMT-certified firefighters. “On our safety and service side, our police and fire are top notch in the area not only in Columbiana County but in the tri-county area,” she says. As for why Salem has such a strong safety system,