Ohio leaders are touting a new program at Columbus State Community College which they believe will spur workforce development all around Ohio.
The college's new Office of Talent Strategy creates a partnership between Columbus State and employers in order to develop curriculum that better prepares students for potential jobs.
This office will focus on careers in the tech field, such as data analytics and cyber security.
Pat Tiberi, president and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable, says this can bridge the divide between workers and jobs.
"If we don't figure out how to create a pipeline, and these are really good jobs by the way, these are jobs that pay $70,000, $75,000, $80,000 a year. If we don't figure out a way to fill these jobs many of these employers are going to go to where the talent is," says Tiberi.
He adds that the consistent message coming out of the discussion about workforce development is that college graduates have a hard time finding work and companies have a hard time filling open positions.
"So you get this mismatch of what is being produced and what employers need and this is part of that process of trying to match it so we can grow our economy here in Ohio," Tiberi says.
The Office of Talent Strategy is the result of a program from the national Business Roundtable, known as the Workforce Partnership Initiative.
