At Cincinnati State, Sen. Brown Outlines Plan to Connect Out-of-Work Ohioans with Jobs in Emerging, High-Tech Industries
At Cincinnati State Jobs Training Program that Has Trained More than 400 Workers for Jobs in the High-Tech Biosciences Industry, Brown Outlines Bill that Would Match Job Training Programs to Needs of Local Businesses
CINCINNATI, OH –U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) outlined a plan to connect out-of-work Ohioans with jobs in emerging and high-tech industries. During a visit to Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Brown highlighted an industry-sector jobs program that has trained more than 400 unemployed Ohioans for jobs in the emerging bioscience industry. Brown, who helped secure federal resources to help fund worker training in Cincinnati, was joined by a formerly-underemployed worker who graduated from the program and now works at DG Medical in Centerville.
“It’s unacceptable that so many hardworking Ohioans are struggling to find jobs while high-tech industries struggle to fill vacancies. That’s why it’s critical that we invest limited workforce training resources to not only help unemployed workers find jobs, but also to attract new employers in high-tech industries,” Brown said. “By working with Cincinnati State and Sinclair, BioOhio is helping connect more Ohioans with the jobs of tomorrow, while also boosting Ohio’s biotech industry.”
“Ohio’s bioscience industry is already an economic engine, having increased employment nearly 20 percent since 2000. But like any engine, it needs fuel," Dennis said. "This program is helping fill the tank with workers trained specifically in areas critical to biomedical manufacturing growth.”
“This is what we do – Cincinnati State specializes in connecting people with new job opportunities and careers,’’ said Cincinnati State President O’dell M. Owens.
As the Enquirer reported in October, despite an 8.5 percent unemployment rate, many employers in high-growth industries struggle to find workers with the necessary skills. BioOhio, in cooperation with six Ohio community colleges—including Cincinnati State and Sinclair Community College—is working to address this disconnect through the Ohio Bioscience Industry Workforce Preparedness project. In October 2009, Brown urged U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to approve funding for the program that provides training to prepare unemployed or underemployed workers for careers in Ohio’s burgeoning bioscience industry.
Brown today outlined a bipartisan plan to foster regional, sectors-based workforce training programs. The bipartisan Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act would help unemployed workers train for high-tech jobs in their region. By tailoring workforce development to the needs of regional, high-growth industry, more workers receive placements and more businesses are attracted to the region based on a “clusters” approach. The SECTORS Act would organize stakeholders connected to a regional industry including business and labor leaders, education and training providers, and local workforce and education system administrators, to develop plans for growing that industry.
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