Washington State’s Workforce 30 initiative focused on future workforce
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MARIETTA - Washington State College of Ohio President Sarah Parker's recent interactions with state leaders have reinforced the school's efforts to strengthen the region's workforce.
On Monday, Parker was a panelist at a Heart of Opportunity Tour event in Piketon with Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel and others discussing economic development and Ohio's future workforce. The statewide tour celebrates Ohio’s recent recognition by CNBC as the No. 1 state for business and includes conversations highlighting partnerships, investments and workforce strategies.
Last week, she joined U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, and local industry and education partners for a workforce roundtable at the Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers' Coalition Support Center in Marietta to discuss changing employer needs and how they can work together to address them.
According to a release from Washington State, those conversations tie in with Workforce 30, a regional workforce study that grew out of the college's strategic planning process. Led by Parker, the initiative expanded to examine how the Mid-Ohio Valley can work together to strengthen the region’s workforce for the coming years, it says.
The Workforce 30 initiative brought together K-12 and career education leaders, employers, elected officials, nonprofits and others in the community. Research revealed that "across every major occupational group studied, total job openings are projected to exceed the net change in jobs, creating continued demand for talented, skilled workers throughout the region," the release says.
"By 2040, approximately 207,000 Southeast Ohio workers currently ages 50 to 64 will be nearing retirement, opening the door for the next generation to build careers throughout the region," it says.
Workforce 30 identified several areas for coordinated action, including better connecting individuals with careers, increasing exposure to in-demand fields and expanding "Learn and Earn" experiences, the release says.
An example of how those recommendations are already being put into practice is Washington State’s InCert Academy, in which the college worked with local superintendents and high school partners to establish a program to allow students to explore engineering and technical careers while earning industry-recognized credentials. Students who recently completed the academy have gone directly into the workforce, continued their education at Washington State or learned a hands-on skill before entering the military, the release said.
"This is what workforce development can look like when we approach it differently," Parker said.
"Students may not know exactly what they want to do but we can give them the chance to explore, develop skills and discover what is possible while also earning credentials that have real value in the workforce."
Washington State has also partnered with Miba Sinter USA in Morgan County to establish Experiential (L)Earning, an internship program connecting students pursuing engineering pathways with paid, hands-on experience, the release says.
Students can begin as early as age 17 through College Credit Plus and progress from introductory production experience to apprenticeships, technical engineering work and ultimately defined roles within an engineering team.
"We have a chance to change the narrative about what it means to live, learn and work in southeast Ohio," Parker said. "Anything you want to be, you can be in southeast Ohio. There are good careers here, employers looking for talented people and partners willing to work together to prepare the next generation to build their futures here."
The release says the Workforce 30 research will help guide future programs, pathways and workforce initiatives designed to ensure southeast Ohio has the talent it needs in the years ahead.