Problem
MillerWhite works with three Workforce Investment Board (WIB) regions in Indiana, representing approximately one-third of the state's counties.
The Western Indiana (Region 7) WIB (and specifically that region's WorkOne Office) worked in partnership with the Wabash Valley Advanced Manufacturing Cluster (WVAMC) to upgrade the image of manufacturing as a career choice. The WVAMC was formed by and for manufacturers located in t he Wabash Valley (including Clay, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo counties in Indiana and Clark and Edgar counties in Illinois). The Cluster provides members with the opportunity to solve issues they all face by establishing common goals, principles and a cohesive plan of action to promote manufacturing excellence and high productivity.
Specifically, WVAMC wanted to change the image of manufacturing from “blue collar job” to “desirable career”; emphasize manufacturing excellence and productivity; and inform young people about the requirements to get these desirable manufacturing jobs. The target audience was 18- to 25-year-old high school students or recent graduates who were unemployed or underemployed and not college-bound.
Solution
WorkOne looked to MillerWhite for a marketing plan that could be used to achieve the WVAMC's goals, but that also could accommodate additional industry clusters as they were formed.
WVAMC's specific goal was to improve the image of manufacturing and increase the number of qualified job applicants available to manufacturers. The marketing plan included two objectives: to launch an outreach campaign that emphasized local career opportunities in the advanced manufacturing sector and to communicate to job seekers the skills needed to succeed in advanced manufacturing and where to obtain these skills.
MillerWhite developed and placed TV and radio spots, print ads and outdoor boards with the theme “I Found My Career. It's Manufacturing.” The materials centered on the following messages:
MillerWhite also produced a short video presentation on CD Rom intended for distribution to the targeted audience at the WorkOne Office. The CD was imbedded with MillerWhite's VeriSyst technology and took viewers directly to the online portal.
Results
The press conference held to kick off campaign was attended by local and regional officials and generated a great deal of positive media coverage. Once the marketing campaign was under way, phone calls to WorkOne's special toll-free number increased dramatically, and visits to the 456jobs.com web site more than doubled.