Sinclair360

While many question whether there are still employment opportunities in the region, a job-vacancy study performed in Montgomery County in 2006 revealed that there were a significant number of high-wage, high-skilled positions vacant. Even in the current economy, this remains true. Jim Leftwich, president of the Dayton Development Coalition, has stated that “filling even a small percentage of these vacant positions will provide a significant economic benefit to the region.”

Better aligning the skills of the workforce with the needs of regional employers is the focus of a powerful statewide initiative led in this region by Workforce Development & Corporate Services (WFD&CS) at Sinclair.

Understanding the key industries that are poised to grow in the regional economy is critical. Through the evaluation of demand data, it was determined that there are career options in information technology, aerospace research and development, advanced materials and manufacturing, and human science and healthcare. These industry clusters are key to the regional economy and show significant growth potential.

The Ohio Board of Regents has launched the Ohio Skills Bank sector strategy to place regional employer workforce needs at the forefront of educational program design, and has selected Sinclair as the coordinator for Region 4.

Joan Swenson, chief human resources officer of Kettering Health Network, and Bill Linesch, vice president of human resources and organizational effectiveness for Premier Health Partners, were recruited by Vice President of WFD&CS Deb Norris to lead the Ohio Skills Bank team for the healthcare industry. Swenson commented, “This work is a key step in improving the Dayton areaÕs economic success, by preparing workforce pipelines to healthcare occupations in high demand.”

Because of their involvement, regional employers in the healthcare industry are eager to engage in the work of identifying where shortages of skilled workers exist. Critical to the initiativeÕs success is the ability to leverage the existing business relationships in WFD&CS and expand them. Because much of the existing skills training and public system support have been directed at low- and entry-level skills, regional employers are clamoring for workers at the medium- and high-skilled levels. Creating and implementing transparent career pathways provides the mechanism to move workers to the skill level that employers need. Having a skilled workforce for employers when they need it is critical for the economic recovery of the region.

By Hope D. Arthur

Hope D. Arthur joined Sinclair Community College in 2007, with over 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, hospitality and management. She manages the David H. Ponitz Sinclair Center, workforce marketing and Project Lead the Way.