Our role in changing state policy

Because of a changing global economy and rapid technological advancements, Ohio has found itself in a situation where thousands of high-wage, high-skilled positions go unfilled while unskilled workers remain mired in low-skill, low-wage jobs without much of a career prospect.

We have worked with state officials across two administrations to create an education system for adult workers that makes it easier for them to acquire new skills and advance in the workplace.

KnowledgeWorks played a substantial role in the Ohio Workforce Education & Training Advisory Council convened by Gov. Bob Taft in 2006. This group of education stakeholders, business leaders, and elected and state officials was to provide Taft with recommendations on how to coordinate Ohio’s efforts to educate and train its adult workforce. Its members sought ways to forge closer ties between four-year universities, community and technical colleges, adult career centers, and adult basic and literacy education (ABLE) providers to create a seamless system for lifelong learning.

The task force made six recommendations for better alignment of educational offerings and employer needs. As a result, Ohio created a new coordinating structure for Ohio's adult workforce education and training system.

Now, competitors within an industry are working together with education providers to design solutions to address their common workforce needs. The University System of Ohio was created, in part, to make it easier to transfer credits between institutions, leading to what are called "stackable certificates," and to offer courses between campuses. The transfer of adult career education to the University System of Ohio has put all adult training and education under one umbrella.   

These changes in how Ohio structures its workforce development programs mean Ohio's employers have greater opportunities to train and develop the workforce they need to compete in the 21st-century global economy.