Ohio Workforce Coalition

Within Governor Kasich’s proposed mid-biennium review bill, three important workforce transformation reforms are being introduced to better align and coordinate Ohio’s Workforce Development System.

• One Integrated State Workforce Plan
• Workforce Success Measures
• Inventory of Education Programs

A skilled workforce is crucial for Ohio’s economic recovery: to strengthen businesses, create and retain jobs, and ensure productivity and prosperity for families. For that reason, the Ohio Workforce Coalition promotes public policies that build the skills of Ohio’s workers and job seekers. The Coalition has long advocated for improving alignment among agencies and programs within the Ohio Workforce Development System. The proposals offered today in the Governor’s mid-biennium review bill, are a step in the right direction.

Ohio leaders have taken steps to improve and coordinate state workforce development systems by establishing policies and shifting programs between state agencies. However, workforce development programs and resources are still dispersed across many state agencies, and a complex network of interagency agreements, funds transfers, and policy committees governs their use. The fragmentation of Ohio’s system makes it difficult to establish consistent policy, complicates efforts to move Ohio’s workforce agenda forward at the national level, and creates incompatible performance targets. It also creates a ripple effect at the local level, producing complexity and inconsistency in local workforce services throughout Ohio. Creating a unified state workforce plan, consistent cross-agency metrics, and an inventory of education and training programs will help employers, workers, and students better navigate this system.

The Ohio Workforce Coalition looks forward to working with the Governor and state policy makers in developing programs that grow Ohio’s economy by building a skilled workforce prepared to meet the present and future needs of industry.

Filed under: Ohio |