House Passes Funding for Industry Sector Partnerships

The Ohio House of Representatives this week passed House Bill 2, priority legislation that is supported by the OMA. If enacted, HB 2 would create the TechCred program to reimburse employers for costs associated with training current or prospective employees who earn an industry-recognized credential.

The bill would also provide $2.5 million a year, for two years, to help support business-led industry sector partnerships. For the past several years, the OMA has worked to created a network of manufacturing sector partnerships statewide. These partnerships would be eligible to receive grants individually or as a network for their efforts to promote manufacturing careers, while also helping individuals attain the skills necessary to enter the manufacturing workforce.

Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee has included portions of HB 2 in its substitute version of the state budget bill (HB 166) — but the amount of funding available for the programs has been reduced considerably. The OMA is working to restore the funding amounts in the Senate. 6/13/2019