Support is needed for innovative jobs creation efforts
By Ronda Watson Barber
Last week I attended U.S. Senator Rob Portman’s Ohio Jobs and Workforce Development Summit. The Summit brought together over 300 educators, employers, and other stakeholders from over 80 counties across the state to discuss collaboration on best practices on workforce development issues. Job creators are frustrated that while many are looking for work, they are unable to find workers with the skills needed to fill open positions within their companies.
During panel remarks Senator Portman announced the CAREER Act will be reintroduced. He introduced the Careers through Responsive, Efficient, and Effective Retraining (CAREER) Act last Congress to make federal job training programs more responsive to the needs of the 21st-century job market.
The CAREER Act reorganizes the federal government’s 47 programs to make them more efficient; give community colleges, career tech institutions and other key educators priority access to dollars for training that equips workers with the credentials and other skills that are in demand by the industry; introduce much needed accountability to job training by rewarding results and penalizing complacency; and provide states and local stakeholders with access to the data they need to track the impact of their programs across the state.
It is vital that program are developed and implemented to create meaningful high paying jobs. I applaud the Senator for hosting the jobs summit. There are many committed to improving the lives of under or unemployed Ohioans.
I didn’t hear any ideas about creating self-employment training opportunities and business resource services. Many of those who participate in job training programs maybe unemployable for a variety of reasons. Self-employment is a way to self-sufficiency. Self-employment creates jobs.
Just my thoughts — rwb
