(SHELBY, Ohio)—Today, Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel brought together business, education, and community leaders from the greater Mansfield area for a roundtable discussion on the region’s workforce strengths and its needs.
Held at North Central State College’s Kehoe Center in Shelby, the roundtable marked the latest stop in the Lt. Governor’s ongoing series of community conversations to inform the development of Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.
“We have an incredible amount of job opportunities coming to Ohio right now, and we need to make sure our workforce is ready to meet the moment,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “What we’re seeing here in the Mansfield area is a strong commitment – from institutions like North Central State College and OSU Mansfield – to work with our business community to align education and training with real industry needs. By working together as a team, we’re going to make sure that we fill the job opportunities that are coming our way.”
Photo: Hines, Aaron
Under the leadership of Governor Mike DeWine, the state has attracted a variety of economic development projects in recent years, which are bringing tens of thousands of new jobs to Ohio. To ensure the state’s workforce is trained and ready to fill these jobs, Governor DeWine announced in his recent State of the State Address that Lt. Governor Tressel would lead the administration’s effort to create Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.
By examining the needs and circumstances of Ohio’s various regions, Ohio’s Workforce Playbook will develop a plan to retain existing talent, recruit new talent to Ohio, and rally Ohio’s existing workforce to greater productivity.
During today's roundtable, representatives from North Central State, as well as those from the neighboring OSU Mansfield, local school districts, career and technical centers, and major employers discussed workforce needs and strategies for strengthening Ohio’s talent pipeline.
During his visit, Lt. Governor Tressel joined North Central State College (NCSC) President Dr. Dorey Diab and other NCSC leaders for a tour of the Kehoe Center – the home of NCSC’s engineering, technology, accounting, business, and graphic design programs.
Photo: Hines, Aaron
NCSC has received state funding through Super RAPIDS grants to acquire state-of-the-art training equipment for students in their advanced manufacturing and healthcare programs.
“It is an honor to host the Lieutenant Governor here at the Kehoe Center,” said President Diab. “It is a tremendous opportunity to bring together business and education leaders from throughout the area to discuss the challenges we face in meeting the workforce needs of Ohio today, and as we look into the future. There are tremendous opportunities that these participants are already tackling through collaboration. With the attention of Lt. Governor Tressel and Ohio, we see tremendous potential for support of these local efforts.”
Photo: Hines, Aaron
OSU Mansfield President Jason Opal also participated in Thursday’s roundtable discussion at the Kehoe Center.
The Ohio State University, as a whole, has received several rounds of Super RAPIDS grant over the years. OSU Mansfield has placed an industry focus on advanced manufacturing.
“The Lt. Governor is committed to giving every Ohioan a pathway – a real chance to realize their potential. He recognizes that this will require many different people and institutions doing many different things,” said President Opal. “At The Ohio State University, our mission is to offer a world-class education in any field, and we are committed to offering that education to all the people of our state, as part of our land grant mission. The regional campuses of the university fulfill that mission and align with the Lt. Governor's vision.”
Lt. Governor Tressel’s visit marked his fifth regional workforce roundtable. Previous events have been held at Cleveland State University, Wright State University, the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College, and at Stewart Glapat in Zanesville.
Similar community discussions will continue to take place across the state to help inform the development of Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.