Taft Speaks on Workforce Development Issues at Northeast Ohio Workforce Summit
CLEVELAND, OHIO (September 9, 2004) - Governor Bob Taft today spoke on the importance of workforce development at the Northeast Ohio Workforce Summit in Cleveland, a forum for top community leaders, employers, educators and the workforce development community to address economic development issues in Northeast Ohio.
"Successful, efficient workforce development strategies are central to advancing Ohio's economic competitiveness," said Taft. "Statewide success comes through work at the local level, and Ohio is focused on strengthening relationships between the state and local workforce boards, as well as employers throughout the state."
In 1999, Taft formed the Governor's Workforce Policy Board, comprised of business leaders, education and training representatives, to develop a comprehensive workforce development system in Ohio and align Ohio's resources with the needs of employers and the workforce. In 2002, the Board proposed AdvanceOhio, a strategic plan to create a comprehensive workforce development system in Ohio to better meet the needs of the current and prospective employer base and the workforce. Under the Board's leadership, Ohio is now in full compliance with the Department of Labor and, for the first time, meeting or exceeding every Workforce Investment Act (WIA) performance standard.
In his remarks, Taft detailed state efforts to serve the needs of employers and employees, including: creating the Third Frontier Internship Program, which trains students in high-growth, high-skill areas of the economy; doubling the Ohio Investment in Training Program funding to help companies with on-the-job training; creating the Ohio Workforce Guarantee to recruit, train and screen workers for companies that create at least 100 new jobs by drawing on existing resources such as community colleges and One Stop Programs; and creating the Governor's Workforce Policy Board.
Joined by Cleveland Mayor Jane L. Campbell, City WIA Board Chair Randell McShepard, and County WIA Board Chair John Carter, Taft introduced Forbes Magazine President and CEO Steve Forbes to speak. The Summit was convened by the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County Board of County Commissioners, and the Greater Cleveland Partnership.
ODJFS provided a variety of support for the Summit through its Bureau of Labor Market Information, including: supporting local One Stop areas as they applied to receive a grant from the Labor Market Information Training Institute ($20,000) to promote the value of labor market information in workforce and economic development planning; providing an additional $60,000 in funding for the project once the grant was awarded to Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland; providing labor market data; and also preparing the Summit Paper, which focuses on the manufacturing, construction and health care industry sectors and small business.
