YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber today called for drug-testing of students in industry-related training programs.
Letters jointly signed by Brian P. Benyo, president of the manufacturers coalition, and Thomas M. Humphries, CEO of the Regional Chamber, were sent to school superintendents in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Industry-related programs at high schools and career and technical colleges address a critical skills mismatch in the region, Benyo and Humphries say. Implementing drug screening would streamline the transition for graduates from school to employment. “This will reinforce the expectation of being drug-free for employment,” they write.
The letter points out that many manufacturers and chamber members “have current openings going unfilled. One factor is the widespread and growing drug problem. We believe that drug-free workplaces are essential to maintaining strong productivity and safe working conditions.Recruiting individuals who are drug-free is an important piece of maintaining drug-free work environments.”
The letter ends with a cautionary note: “As with any program [that] may have legal implications, MVMC and YWRC recommend school administrators consult with legal counsel prior to implementing a drug testing protocol,” Benyo and Humphries state.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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