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Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Coalition names first director, Edward Ratterman


The Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Coalition (Coalition) has named Edward R. Ratterman as its first director.

Ratterman will be working collaboratively with business, education and community leaders to address the need for skilled workers in advanced manufacturing by improving the talent pipeline in Northern Kentucky.

Ratterman is working under contract with Partners for a Competitive Workforce, a regional backbone organization that facilitates workforce development activities in collaboration with many groups working in this field, including the Coalition.

 Edward Ratterman (Photo provided)

Edward Ratterman (Photo provided)

“I am pleased to join the Coalition and Partners for a Competitive Workforce to carry on the work they have initiated in Northern Kentucky,” said Ratterman. “There is a substantial amount of effort and energy being put toward the Coalition’s workforce development goals by a whole host of organizations that have joined forces to help recruit and prepare the advanced manufacturing workforce of the future.”

Ratterman’s initial priorities include meeting immediate employer needs for two key manufacturing occupations; developing and implementing a community outreach and engagement plan; and facilitating a Talent Pipeline Management Program pilot study being conducted by four Northern Kentucky advanced manufacturing companies under a grant from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Janice Urbanik, executive director of Partners for a Competitive Workforce said, “Ed’s background in economic development and public service provides a strong foundation for this work and we are thrilled to have him as a member of our team.”

After serving as the City Administrator for the City of North College Hill and Economic Development Director for the City of Forest Park, Ratterman joined the City of Cincinnati in 1996 as Senior Development Officer in the Economic Development Department. During his 15-year tenure with the City of Cincinnati, he was instrumental in many of the city’s landmark projects including the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Contemporary Arts Center, and Columbia Square mixed-use development. Ratterman has a Bachelor of Urban Planning degree from the University of Cincinnati’s Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Coalition College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Ohio State University.

Active in community affairs, Ratterman serves on the board of Covington Partners and Cincinnati’s Brewery District Redevelopment Corporation, as a member of the Strategic Planning committee of the board of Roger Bacon High School, as a mentor at Covington Holmes High School, and as a member of Southbank Partners’ Riverfront Commons Committee.

The Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Coalition is a collaboration of employers, educators, economic development professionals, the workforce investment system, and community agencies to address occupational shortages in the industry while providing career pathways for job seekers and incumbent workers, and career exposure opportunities for youth.

Partners for a Competitive Workforce is a regional partnership in Ohio, Kentucky focused on meeting employer demand by growing the skills of the current and future workforce. The partnership developed out of a long history of collaboration in the tri-state region to address workforce challenges.


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