The Ohio Education Research Center (OERC) at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs and its partnering agencies Smart Columbus, the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio and United Way of Central Ohio released recommendations from a study outlining opportunities to counter the disruption created by new technology and the global pandemic to prepare Central Ohio’s workforce for the jobs of the future. “The future of Smart Work is underway in Central Ohio, where the network of education, workforce and business professionals are working hard to broaden participation in the economy of tomorrow. Our systematic review of workforce trends highlights new opportunities and challenges for this growing and dynamic region,” said Josh Hawley, professor and director of the OERC.
“The Ohio Education Research Center is proud to have been a part of this effort. This study is an example of how the team at OERC carries out its mission to provide timely and high-quality evaluation and research products for government and community decision-makers,” said Julie Maurer, lead research manager at the OERC. Glenn College research associates, Ethan Joseph and Lina Osorio-Copete, were also instrumental in completing this important study.
The study, Fast Forward: The Future of Smart Work in Central Ohio, finds that technology disruptions inspired by the smart city movement will likely accelerate even more quickly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need to close the skills gaps and deliver education and credentials for Central Ohio workers will take on new urgency. The report introduced recommendations to stimulate job growth and overcome these challenges in the wake of the pandemic.
“We commissioned this study in 2019 not knowing that emerging technology had the potential to cause disruption to our regional workforce, not yet knowing an even greater workforce challenge was yet to come,” said Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired opportunities for innovation and advancement through automated goods delivery, remote learning, and more, but it has also laid bare inequities in access to connectivity and education. We must act now and engage residents in every stage of their careers in order to emerge from this crisis stronger and more prepared for continued change.”
President and CEO of the Workforce Development Board and Glenn College alumna Lisa Patt-McDaniel, MPA ’96, reflected on the record number of job losses Ohioans experienced at the onset of the pandemic. “Despite the fact that nearly three-quarters of the workforce was deemed ‘critical’ during the early days of the pandemic, over 1.3 million Ohio workers still lost their jobs between March and May 2020,” stated Patt-McDaniel. According to Patt-McDaniel and the OERC study, grappling with difficult issues in K-12 education, increasing access to that education and teaching adults basic skills could protect and prepare the Central Ohio workforce.
Creating equal pathways to success is a major priority of the study. "We must do everything we can to accelerate initiatives that improve student success today and for future generations," said Lisa Courtice, president and CEO of United Way of Central Ohio. "COVID-19 has shined a light on something many of us already knew. There is great inequality in our community, and that gap continues to widen. If we don't make student success a priority, then we will feel the ripple effects of the pandemic for years to come.”
The OERC has identified six opportunities to stimulate job growth and protect the workforce:
- Respond in real time: Establish the deliberate use of education, workforce and employment data to analyze in close-to-real-time what is happening in the economy so that the workforce system can quickly and proactively help job seekers understand what skills are needed, and help businesses know what skill sets are available in the region.
- Train for the future: Establish a continuous learning system that educates and trains for future career opportunities.
- Intervene early: Incorporate work and career exploration in curriculum as early as middle school and continuing through high school in all school districts in Franklin County. Provide exposure to high-demand occupations and key business sectors in Central Ohio through required work experience and internships. Partner with employers to provide guidance and assistance in making the work experiences and internships meaningful.
- Accelerate access to in-demand occupations: Improve access to employer-identified short-term certifications and credentials that more quickly get job seekers into in-demand occupations. In addition, re-engineer credentials and post-secondary degrees to be competency-based, meaning that learning is not based on a prescribed number of hours for a course, but rather a demonstrated knowledge of skills, allowing the learner to progress at her or his own pace.
- Establish “earn as you learn” opportunities and connect workers to them: Prioritize learning and skill acquisition with work for the entry- to mid-level workforce through the establishment of apprenticeships and other earn-as-you-learn opportunities by partnering with career technical education and community colleges.
- Support workers through to successful, quality jobs: Further solidify the workforce system through the Workforce Development Board’s Workforce Advisory Council to better support job seekers through training and education.
“The recommendations outlined in this study provide Columbus with a strong opportunity to more efficiently meet the workforce needs of our residents and business community as we contend with the rapid challenges of technology, innovation and the COVID-19 pandemic on our economy,” said Columbus City Councilmember Shayla Favor. “When we are able to prioritize education, skills training and access to opportunity, we will create an ecosystem in which some of the most vulnerable members of our community can thrive.”
The study and an accompanying executive summary are available on the Smart Columbus Playbook and was funded through the Smart Cities Challenge grant awarded to the City of Columbus by the Paul G. Allen Philanthropies, the United Way of Central Ohio, and the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio.
More information.