Ohio's Revised Workforce Investment Plan is a Joke - Tell them!

Do not bother to read the State of Ohio's 309 page revised plan on how it plans to spend federal Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act dollars. It is a joke. You don't have to read it; but PLEASE DO take the time to tell them to change it.

On page 7 of their "plan", there is a graph showing the top 10 expected career growth industries through 2024. Health Care is number 1 with 18% growth expected. Construction is number 2 with 12.2% projected growth. Yet, the next 302 pages outline nothing about helping the construction industry find new workers. You see, the state of Ohio conjured up 3 other (completely subjective) measures to end up saying that Construction Careers, jobs in the skilled trades, are not "in demand". I said the plan was a joke; but no one is laughing.

Read more below...there is something you can do to help!

For the state of Ohio to not have construction careers deemed "in demand" is a fiscal and social travesty. The data clearly shows that construction careers are projected to be the 2nd highest growing sector over the next 10 years; yet the state shall be investing its WIOA funds to promote careers in sectors projected to have negative growth! They justify this practice with subjective measures such as employer surveys and Jobs Ohio "key economic drivers".  I would love to see how any expansion of our economy is possible without construction.

It is your time to act...
This is the open "public comment" period. If you believe, as I do, as the data shows, that Construction is "in demand" and deserves job training dollars allocated to help people find careers in the skilled trades, tell the State of Ohio

​Go to http://workforce.ohio.gov/Initiatives/Combined-State-Plan, scroll down and fill out the form. Tell your friends and co-workers to do the same.