Friday, June 1, 2012

Building a Spec Workforce


If you liked Mark Lautman's slide yesterday, here's another slide worth absorbing from the recent Columbus2020! Update session.

It's a side-by-side comparison that sums up Lautman's core point that economic development has changed and developers need to adapt.  The "before" is pre-2011 and the "after" is right now.

Let me highlight # 11 in particular.

I just like the phrase "Spec Workforce" as it describes what communities need to do to prepare for a post Baby Boomer retirees economy. 

I argue Licking County is doing that better than most to build a spec workforce with robust workforce training initiatives at COTC (our community college) and at C-TEC (our vocational school).

Licking County's adult education center at C-TEC offers the 79|Seventy Manufacturing Certification program aimed at building a pool of qualified workers to enter the manufacturing workforce.  

C-TEC's WorkKeys stats show more than 2,500 certified with 86% of those at Silver level or higher and fully 20% at Gold.  These are above the national average.

Lautman would call that building our spec workforce.  And that's what it truly is.

2 comments:

  1. Which C-TEC programs will you be pushing for your children to enroll in?

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    1. If they have the aptitude and ability to get the necessary skills training and certifications, I would encourage my kids to consider multi-craft maintenance or welding careers. Those pay more than many four-year college degrees do.

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