Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was in Cleveland Monday on the first leg of what he's calling his week-long "Statewide Workforce Tour." The goal is to highlight vocational training programs that provide pathways to well-paying jobs.
Speaking with executives and students at Tech Elevator, a computer coding school in Cleveland, Husted asked what the state can do to support programs like it. One suggestion: stop requiring bachelor's degrees for state government jobs that focus on computer programming. Husted was receptive to the idea.
“If Google, and Amazon, and J.P. Morgan Chase, and Key Bank are not requiring it, then why should the State of Ohio?” he said. “That's something that needs to change.”
Husted said vocational training is crucial to filling a skills gap in many industries and thinks the state should support more of it.
Tech Elevator offers a crash course in coding, and claims that 91 percent of its graduates find employment within 180 days. However, the 14-week coding bootcamp also costs around $15,500. Husted said he wants to promote Ohio as a tech hub, and he's thinking about what the state can do to put such training within the reach of more Ohioans.
“When we're putting together our job training dollars,” he said, “let's make sure that we're working closely with businesses, and giving people access to these kinds of opportunities.”
Later in the week, Husted is scheduled to visit Dana Incorporated (a drivetrain maker in Toledo), Brilex Industries (a manufacturer in Youngstown), Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Washington State Community College in Marietta, and an organization (also in Marietta) called Careers in My Community, which connects students and adult job seekers with training and career guidance.
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