Workforce Management

Community Colleges React to DeWine Budget

Jack Hershey, President of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC), this week provided a House Finance Committee subcommittee the community college views on HB 166, the governor’s biennial budget proposal.

The aims of the community colleges are similar to those of the OMA in relation to the budget, that is, support for: $15 million a year for industry-recognized certificates, an additional $25 million a year for such certificates for high school students, and an expansion of work-based learning.

Read the testimony for a good understanding of what’s in the budget for workforce development. 4/11/2019

Secretary DeVos Attends Butler Tech Mfg Signing Day

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will be in southwest Ohio today to participate in Butler Tech’s Manufacturing Recognition and Signing Day.

The Signing Day ceremony celebrates and recognizes students who will soon be graduating and entering the workforce. Following the ceremony, the secretary will tour a manufacturing classroom and hear directly from students who have benefited from Butler Tech learning opportunities. 4/12/2019

OMA Member’s Focus on Workforce Profiled in IndustryWeek

Addressing the skills gap starts by sparking interest in manufacturing, says one of the nation’s most recent industrial success stories, Steve Staub.

Staub, president and co-owner of Staub Manufacturing Solutions, Dayton, is an OMA and a NAM board member, and a dedicated leader and spokesperson on the issue of manufacturing workforce.

This recent IndustryWeek story highlights Staub’s tireless efforts to promote the manufacturing sector, especially to the upcoming generation of employees. According to the article, he is “quick to point out over the course of a lifetime, a welder can earn more than an attorney” since “welders can start earning salaries several years sooner, due to nine months of schooling compared to six years or more.”

IndustryWeek notes that “when Staub advocates for manufacturing to school superintendents, ‘half of them have no idea’ about how good a manufacturing job can be.”

To boost young people’s interest in the manufacturing sector, Staub chairs a Dayton-area program called Xtreme STEM, which features such activities as 3D printing and robotic competitions. 4/10/2019

OSU’s Mobile Design Lab Takes Digital Skills on the Road

The Ohio State University’s Digital Flagship initiative has unveiled its new mobile design lab — an RV that allows students and faculty to conduct outreach across the state to provide instruction on design thinking, mobile app development, coding and more.

Digital Flagship is the university’s digital learning initiative to support educational innovation for students. According to university leaders, the design lab won’t be limited to the Ohio State campuses. The lab will provide outreach to K-12 schools, the larger Ohio community and extended campus partners. Read more about OSU’s mobile design lab here. 4/10/2019

Lt. Gov. Husted to Lead Ohio Office of Workforce Transformation

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine this week named Lt. Governor Jon Husted to serve as the Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation. The appointment begins immediately.

In light of this good news, OMA President Eric Burkland issued a press statement, saying, “The appointment of Lt. Governor Husted to serve personally as the leader of the workforce transformation office is a powerful statement of the level of importance the administration places on talent development. In his many years of public service, Lt. Governor Husted has displayed a passion for making Ohio the best place in the country to do business. This passion is carried into the most important, and urgent, economic matter of the times: preparing Ohioans for both today’s jobs and the jobs of the future.” 4/4/2019

How Would Your School District Fare under Proposed Funding Plan?

A new K-12 funding plan was unveiled last week in the Ohio House. How would your school district fare under the new plan? Find out here. 4/1/2019

What Will You Do for Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs Week, May 6-10?!

During the week of May 6-10, Ohio is going to make a lot of noise about in-demand jobs, including manufacturing! Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs Week is a statewide celebration of jobs, industries and skills that are in-demand in Ohio.

Leaders statewide are encouraged to plan events and activities that will inspire excitement and awareness among students and job seekers.

In-Demand Jobs Week is an opportunity to open your doors to students and job seekers to increase interest in local jobs and build a talent pipeline. Here’s a guide for businesses and there are lots more tools here.

To submit an event to the official Event Map, email your event details. 3/29/2019

New School Funding Plan Proposed

This week Rep. Bob Cupp (R-Lima) and Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) released a proposal, the “Fair School Funding Plan,” to renovate the state’s K-12 funding program.

The plan is the result of months of research by a working group of educators, school funding experts and legislators.

The plan creates a new formula for a student’s basic education. It adds money for poverty and mental health and improves security and safety among other proposals. It breaks down to 60% of funds for a base student cost, 15% for special instruction, 20% for school operations and 5% for administration.

Specific numbers for populating the new formula are to be released today.

This is the first proposal for a major reform to the school funding program in a decade. It’ll be a major subject of debate in the General Assembly over the coming months. 3/27/2019

CASE STUDY: Innovative Partnerships Build the Manufacturing Talent Pipeline

Many people living in poverty are employed in traditional low-wage jobs like fast food and retail. Yet they often lack the resources and confidence to advance to a sustainable career.

Career Bridge, a pilot project by the Partners for a Competitive Workforce, a strategic initiative of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, is helping the working poor move forward while building the talent pipeline to in-demand jobs such as advanced manufacturing.

Read a one-pager about this innovation!

There are many innovations in workforce development underway; read about them here. 3/21/2019

Build Your Talent Pipeline During Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs Week May 6-10

Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs Week is a statewide celebration of jobs, industries and skills that are in-demand in Ohio.

Community leaders statewide are encouraged to partner to plan engaging events and activities that will inspire excitement and awareness among students and job seekers.

In-Demand Jobs Week is an opportunity to open your doors to students and job seekers to increase interest in local jobs and build a talent pipeline. Here’s a guide for businesses.

To submit an event to the official Event Map, email details here. To learn more go here. 3/5/2019