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COLUMBUS — State officials have unveiled a new online tool that will help employers identify newly-trained workers with degrees and certifications in a wide variety of occupations with in-demand technical skills. Officials from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation and the Department of Job and Family Services gathered for a live demonstration of the prototype tool Thursday morning.
The Workforce Supply Tool, made possible by a $180,000 National Skills Coalition State Workforce and Education Alignment Project (SWEAP) Grant, connects businesses to local technical centers, community colleges and universities to discover emerging talent within in-demand fields. The supply tool will reside on the OhioMeansJobs website under the Employer tab at The Workforce Supply Tool, https://workforcesupply.chrr.ohio-state.edu/.
Businesses can use specific labor market data to compare candidates statewide for strategic recruitment decisions, and policymakers can gain data-driven insights to prioritize workforce reform. The purpose of the tool is to help all parties better understand the current supply of labor and to help businesses meet current and future talent and workforce needs.
According to Bryan Wilson, State Policy Director for the National Skills Coalition, “Ohio has built a state-of-the-art tool that will aid business and economic development leaders grow jobs in the state and help higher education leaders better align education and training with employer skill needs. The National Skills Coalition has helped Ohio develop the tool, with the financial support of the JPO Morgan Chase Foundation and USA Funds.”
The supply tool, which currently includes approximately 20 in-demand occupations, will be expanded early next year to include 200 individual occupations, making regional supply pipeline forecasts predictable for employers across the state of Ohio.
“Our universities and particularly our community colleges, are eager to provide real-time access to data about new graduates coming into the workforce,” said John Carey, Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
“This tool reflects the number one need of Ohio’s businesses and that is finding the talent they need to grow and prosper,” said Ryan Burgess, Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation. “The Workforce Supply Tool uses data to make it easier for business owners to find the talent now being trained in Ohio’s universities and community colleges.”
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