National Skills Summit

National Skills Summit
Innovative Initiatives: Consortiums

Advantage: Columbus Workforce Development Initiative

The Challenge:

To develop a world-class workforce that can meet the needs of Greater Columbus employers now and in the future.

The Solution:

To create a Workforce Development System through business leadership and community partnerships, using system-wide standards of excellence in education and training to meet the community's evolving labor market needs.

The Partners:

The Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce leads the local business community, represented by more than 200 local businesses, in designing and implementing the Workforce Development Initiative.

The Columbus, Reynoldsburg, and South-Western Schools Systems, Franklin University, Ohio State University, Columbus State Community College, and other local education leaders train students according to the guidelines established by the Workforce Development Initiative.

City of Columbus, Franklin County, and other government leaders oversee programs implemented by the Workforce Development Initiative.

United Way leads local community based organizations in collaborating with the Workforce Development Initiative.

The Story:

In response to the chronic labor shortages and the demand for skilled labor in the Columbus, Ohio area, the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce convened a Workforce Leadership Summit in September 1998. More than 250 leaders from business, government, education, and community organizations attended. They identified four critical success factors necessary to develop Columbus' workforce: business-driven performance standards; high quality education and training programs; skills-based employment information; and governance structures involving leaders from business, government, education and community organizations. As a result of that Summit, the Chamber:

Organized the region's first Workforce Leadership Council to implement a community-wide vision for confronting the region's most compelling workforce challenges.
Launched project teams, composed of more than 200 community volunteers and led by co-chairs from business and education, to establish business-driven education and training standards for the community's most vital, high-demand industries and occupations: manufacturing; business/finance/customer service; information technology; construction; and logistics. A healthcare project team was later added.
Initiated three additional project teams, also co-chaired by business and education leaders, to address high-impact, community-wide challenges in workplace communication; adult training assessment and certification; and on-line skills matching.

This unprecedented collaboration of business, education, government, and community organizations has resulted in dramatic commitments to ensuring workforce development.

Local business leaders have committed:

To place up to 4,000 student interns per year.
To develop and update written skill standards for today's jobs in rapidly growing fields
To provide jobs for High School Career Academy graduates who will be prepared for employment.

Local education leaders have committed:

To total education reform. The Columbus Public Schools have pledged that students will read at or above grade level by third grade; that students will be prepared for algebra by ninth grade; and that graduates will know how to use technology for lifelong learning.
To create Career Academies in the Columbus Public Schools, Reynoldsburg High School, and Groveport Madison High School. Each academy is a year-round, three-year course of instruction, offering a college-preparatory curriculum and learning-in-context instruction related to one of six high-demand local industries. Graduates receive a high school diploma and up to one year of college credit. More than 50 local businesses have agreed to hire Career Academy students upon graduation, or after they have pursued a post-high school education.

A Model of Innovation:

Columbus is one of the first cities in the nation to establish business-driven standards for academic and occupational excellence. The Advantage: Columbus Workforce Development Initiative is targeted to reach people in all phases of the workforce, including those already employed, students preparing to enter the workforce, and those transitioning to new or better jobs, including the welfare-to-work population.

Contacts:

Rod Bowman, Vice President, Workforce Development
Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce
37 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614-225-6901 (p)
614-221-1408 (f)

Pete Maneff, Director of Career Education
Columbus Public Schools Northeast Career Center
3871 Stelzer Road
Columbus, OH 43219
614-365-5728 (p)
614-365-5896 (f)