Senator Portman Talks About Importance of Career & Technical Training
Workforce development continues to be a critical need in Ohio according to Sen. Rob Portman. During a roundtable discussion in Plain City last week, Portman emphasized the need to continue to improve career and technical education to keep Ohio competitive when it comes to mega-projects like Foxconn according to an article in Columbus Business First.
While Ohio has attracted many new companies and fostered large investments from existing employers, workforce can make or break economic development efforts. Portman commented that investing in STEM, career and technical training is necessary for new business attraction but also important to support existing large employers as they grow.
“A huge part of their decision making is ‘Will there be the skilled workforce there, that we need to be able to be competitive?’ You can have everything else work, but if you don’t have the skilled workforce, none of it works,” he said.
For the full Columbus Business First article, click HERE.
Much more than just “drug houses”; State grants to fund commercial building demolition would propel county land banks as key drivers of Ohio’s economic development
In late April 2021, a legislative committee in the Ohio House held its second hearing to consider creating a $100 million grant program, exclusively for county land banks, to fund commercial building demolition. Ohio’s land bank statutes are recognized as a national model, uniquely providing an opt-in for county commissioners to direct tax collections to fund their county land banks’ activities. That revenue model, coupled with allocations from the state’s Hardest Hit Fund (specifically, the sun-setting Neighborhood Initiative Program), allowed land banks to grow in number during the past decade and thrive in addressing so-called nonproductive land in their communities.
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Archbold, Ohio – Communication, collaboration, and partnerships are all sometimes a difficult ask. The ultimate goal of all three is to produce action that leads to meeting a goal or need. At Paulding High School, the goal was met as five students completed the Northwest State Community College welding course. The offering, consisting of two college level welding courses, came to fruition alongside the OhioMeansJobs-Defiance and Paulding Counties Office, the Paulding County Economic Development Office, Paulding High School, and Northwest State Community College.
read moreKinetic Vision Celebrated by HCDC with the Ron Schallick Economic Development Award
Every year we celebrate the organizations and individuals that have partnered with us to help grow our local economy. Due to COVID-19, we were unable to host our Annual Meeting & Business Development Awards Ceremony. This year we celebrated the Award recipients at their place of business.
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