Preparing for What's Next: Industry Leaders Discuss the Future of Work at Ohio State Mansfield

As technology, automation and artificial intelligence continue to reshape the workplace, preparing students for successful careers requires more than developing technical expertise. It also means cultivating the adaptability, critical thinking and interpersonal skills needed to navigate an evolving workforce.

That was the focus of Ohio State Mansfield's Business and Manufacturing Industry Hub, held October 12 at Eisenhower Marketplace.

The interactive program, titled The Future Workforce: Hiring for Skills That Don't Exist Yet, brought together students, faculty, alumni and regional business leaders to explore how emerging technologies and changing workplace expectations are influencing the skills employers seek.

Hosted by Ohio State Mansfield Dean and Director Jason Opal, the event featured Scott King, president and CEO of The Gorman-Rupp Company, and Mark Cacchio, director of human resources at Charter Next Generation.

Representing two major employers in the region, King and Cacchio offered firsthand perspectives on how technology is transforming their organizations and why the ability to adapt may be among the most valuable qualities employees can bring to the workplace.

While concerns about artificial intelligence replacing jobs continue to grow, King suggested that the more significant shift may be in how existing jobs are performed.

"I would say the jobs that are quote disappearing, maybe they aren't going to disappear, but as Mark mentioned, they're really going to change," King said.

He explained that Gorman-Rupp is increasingly using automation to handle repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on responsibilities that require greater judgment, initiative and human interaction.

For example, customer service representatives who previously spent considerable time manually entering purchase orders are now benefiting from automated systems that process much of that information. Rather than eliminating those positions, the company is training employees to focus on customer relationships, follow up on sales opportunities and help customers better understand available products.

"We've said to our folks that we're going to adopt AI as reasonably quickly as we can to help with our business, but no one's going to lose their job as a result of it," King said.

The shift illustrates a broader message shared throughout the discussion: As technology takes over certain responsibilities, employees must be willing to develop new skills and approach familiar challenges differently.

For Ohio State Mansfield student Jackie Chen, the discussion offered a new perspective on how artificial intelligence could reshape workplace responsibilities.

Drawing from previous internship experience, Chen said the conversation challenged the idea that AI will simply replace workers.

"Instead of getting rid of jobs and taking over jobs, AI actually pushes these positions to do more applied knowledge and critical thinking," Chen said.

Cacchio described similar changes taking place at Charter Next Generation, where emerging technologies are influencing everything from manufacturing processes to employee training.

The company is developing simulation-based training that will allow employees to practice manufacturing processes in a classroom environment before applying those skills on the production floor.

Such advancements, he explained, are creating opportunities for employees to develop technical expertise while strengthening their ability to analyze information, solve problems and respond to change.

Despite the growing influence of artificial intelligence, both industry leaders emphasized that technical knowledge alone will not determine an employee's success.

"We're going to need more curiosity, more critical thinkers, more creative thinkers, because you're no longer going to be the doer in an organization, but you're going to be evaluating what used to be repetitive and trying to make it work better," Cacchio said.

King offered an example of how artificial intelligence is expanding opportunities for research and problem-solving at Gorman-Rupp.

He described using AI to analyze thousands of historical documents related to wastewater lift stations, completing a task in approximately 90 minutes that previously would have required extensive manual research.

"Our ability to be curious and answer questions is so much stronger today than it was even two years ago," King said.

While technology can process information at remarkable speeds, the discussion reinforced the importance of knowing which questions to ask, how to evaluate the answers and when human judgment is necessary.

Communication, collaboration, leadership, empathy and adaptability also emerged as important qualities for the workforce of the future.

Student Olivia Ritenour said hearing directly from regional business leaders reinforced the importance of developing skills that extend beyond technical knowledge.

"Hearing directly from regional business leaders opened my eyes to how important developing, not only hard skills through our course work is, but also developing soft skills are in being able to get an internship and starting our young careers," Ritenour said.

Cacchio illustrated the importance of authenticity through an example involving an employee who used AI to write a message recognizing a colleague's accomplishments.

"It screamed AI, and it didn't scream genuine. It wasn't authentic," he said.

The example underscored a distinction that resonated throughout the conversation: Technology may help employees work more efficiently, but genuine relationships and personal communication remain essential.

For Ohio State Mansfield, the Industry Hub initiative provides an opportunity to connect classroom learning with the experiences and expectations of regional employers.

Rather than following a traditional lecture format, the program encouraged interaction through conversations with industry leaders, small-group discussions and networking opportunities.

Students and other participants explored the qualities that contribute to professional success, including curiosity, teamwork, patience, communication and a willingness to continue learning.

Chen said the event also reinforced the importance of becoming more comfortable using emerging technologies.

"I knew that AI was going to be an important factor and a skill I will definitely have to learn, but I didn't realize how much of an impact it would have," Chen said.

The experience encouraged Chen to focus on developing greater AI fluency and confidence in using the technology.

Opal, a historian who has incorporated artificial intelligence into his own research, also addressed the importance of maintaining human judgment as technology becomes more sophisticated.

"It's a partnership with the humans at the helm, as opposed to some other arrangement," Opal said.

His perspective reinforced the idea that emerging technologies are most valuable when paired with knowledge, thoughtful questioning and the ability to critically evaluate information.

Beyond hearing from established professionals, students had opportunities to engage in smaller conversations, ask questions and begin developing connections that could influence their educational and career paths.

For Ritenour, the discussion also provided direction as she prepares for a career in engineering.

"After attending this event, I realized how important it will be in the next few years to gain more A.I. Fluency, as well as gaining more skills needed for the engineering career field," Ritenour said.

The students' reflections reinforced a central message of the Industry Hub discussion: Preparing for an evolving workforce requires a willingness to embrace new technologies while continuing to develop the human skills employers value.

Yet the conversation at Ohio State Mansfield highlighted an important distinction: Preparing for the future is not simply about mastering the latest technology. It is about developing the curiosity to explore new possibilities, the judgment to use technology responsibly and the adaptability to continue learning as opportunities emerge.

For students preparing to enter an increasingly complex workforce, those qualities may prove just as important as the technical skills they acquire along the way.