CLARK STATE’S SHORT-TERM TECHNICAL CERTIFICATES DIVERSIFY WORKFORCE Clark State Community College is now offering 24 Short-Term technical certificates
INSIDE:
Fall 2015
> Hatching new companies in Toledo Volume 3 > Ohio Export Internship helps Ohio companies make a global impact Issue 4 > Ohio University-Southern spearheads technical degree center & partnerships > Ohio Career-Tech alum competes in International graphic competition
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ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
This is a quarterly e-newsletter designed to connect Ohio higher education to the business community. In this publication, you will learn about the efforts of the Ohio Department of Higher Education to move students from the classroom to the workforce; and about research and idea development happening within Ohio’s public two-year and four-year institutions that is benefiting Ohio businesses.
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 4
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
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new school year is under way, and with a new year comes a new name. The state budget signed in June by Governor Kasich stipulated a name change for our agency, from the Ohio Board of Regents to the Ohio Department of Higher Education. The new name better aligns with our K-12 partners at the Ohio Department of Education, and eliminates any confusion between our agency and our advisory board, which is still known as the Board of Regents.
RED BORDERS
But while our name has changed, our mission to help all of our students further their education and strengthen Ohio’s global economy remains the same, as you’ll see in this issue of ConnectED. You’ll learn about Clark State’s new Short-Term technical certificates, read about the LaunchPad Incubation Program at the University of Toledo, and see how one student’s work in the classroom earned him a trip to Brazil. I hope you enjoy this issue of ConnectED, and if there’s a story you’d like to see in a future issue, I hope you’ll stay ConnectED with us.
John Carey
Chancellor, Ohio Department of Higher Education
Clark State Community College ShortTerm Technical Certificates Diversify Workforce Clark State is now offering 24 Short-Term technical certificates
Hatching New Companies in Toledo The LaunchPad Incubation Program at UT is providing new technology-oriented companies the support they need Ohio Export Internship Helps Ohio Companies Make a Global Impact Educating business students on the fundamentals of exporting and helping companies in Ohio expand globally Ohio University-Southern Spearheads Technical Degree Center and Partnerships The opening of the Higher Education Regional Partnership and Training Center Ohio Career-Tech Alum Competes in International Graphic Competition A graduate of Kettering Fairmont High School represented the U.S. in this summer’s WorldSkills competition
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CLARK STATE’S SHORTTERM TECHNICAL CERTIFICATES DIVERSIFY WORKFORCE In an effort to fulfill southwest Ohio’s workforce needs, Clark State Community College is now offering 24 Short-Term technical certificates approved through the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). While Clark State has offered Short-Term technical certificates for years, the ODHE distinction “allows Clark State Community College to quantify students who are non-degree seeking and better market technical programs to prospective students,” said Kathy Wilcox, Clark State’s dean of health and human services.
Featured Story - Fall 2015
Enrollment in Short-Term technical certificate programs at Clark State is on the rise. During the 2014 academic year, Clark State’s Department of Business and Applied Technology issued 42 certificates. Thus far in 2015, the department has already issued 27 certificates, putting it on pace to far exceed last year’s number. Short-Term technical certificates are unique in that they can be earned in fewer than 30 semester credit hours, providing an alternative credential from full-year certificates and degree programs. Aimee Belanger-Haas, Clark State’s dean of business and applied technologies, said the 30 semester credit hours, coupled with applied work experience, make students desirable in the workforce. She added that many students who completed a Short-Term certificate in geospatial information systems with hands-on experience at Woolpert in Dayton found fultime employment with the geospatial firm after completing the Short-Term certificate.
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 4
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
Industry partners such as Woolpert play a large role in Clark State’s Short-Term technical certificates. Wilcox said the majority of the students in the medical coding Short-Term certificate program are gaining real-world experience at Springfield Regional Medical Center and Miami Valley Hospital. “(Medical coding) is really competitive; there is a shortage of medical coders so the partnerships with our regional medical providers are important,” Wilcox said. Belanger-Haas had similar things to say about the firefighting certificates. “Trained firefighters were completing the program and filling a need within local, rural fire departments,” she said. “Other partners for the Short-Term technical certificates include Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Speedway LLC.” Looking to the future with the Short-Term certificates, a major initiative is under way at Clark State to better engage industry partners as faculty members. “They [industry partners] are the content experts because they control what is taking place in the field,” Wilcox said. “They are extremely valuable in the classroom.” To learn more about the Short-Term certificates at Clark State, visit: https://www.clarkstate.edu/academics/majorsprograms
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ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
HATCHING NEW COMPANIES IN TOLEDO There’s a reason it’s called a business “incubator.” Like baby chicks, new businesses have a better chance of survival when given time to develop in a safe environment. The LaunchPad Incubation Program (LPI) at The University of Toledo is providing new technology-oriented companies the support they need to grow and thrive in the wilds of the startup world. LPI started out as the Clean and Alternative Energy Incubator program, a means for commercializing the innovative renewable energy research happening at UT in the early 2000s. But by 2013, when Molly Reams Thompson took over as LPI director, the regional entrepreneurial landscape had evolved beyond the energy sector. “LPI had been more of a landlord/tenant situation previously,” Thompson said.” But I wanted to build it out into a bona fide incubation program.” With that goal in mind, Thompson put together an advisory board and LPI adopted a more rigorous process of business-model development in order to expand its
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 4
“A logical extension of what was happening in the region” -Molly Reams Thompson LPI Director
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
reach into the information technology, biotech, and advanced manufacturing sectors – a move that Thompson describes as “a logical extension of what was happening in the region.” Since then, LPI has worked with dozens of local companies to help them develop viable, scalable business models using the “lean launch” methodology popularized by startup pioneer and author Eric Ries. The lean startup method relies primarily on the Business Model Canvas, an evidence-based approach that helps entrepreneurs break down the activities and resources needed to attract customers and take a product/service from concept to sustainable, investable business. It’s not the same thing as simply writing a business plan. “Business plans don’t behave the way customers act, “ Thompson explained, “Plans are static – you’re basically guessing what you think you want to have happen, but contrived numbers don’t represent real customers.” Every new company’s needs are unique. Some simply require office or manufacturing/lab space, while others need hands-on coaching or access to funding sources in order to take the business to the next level. LPI tailors its services to meet the needs of each individual business, leveraging ties with UT to provide entrepreneurs access to campus facilities, expertise or other critical resources. LPI also plugs into the local business community through events such as its regular Pitch & Pour competitions, which allow budding entrepreneurs to rub elbows with established business leaders, potential mentors, and most importantly – potential investors. Ultimately, Thompson wants the LPI program to help create a Toledo that’s as vibrant and economically sustainable as such cities as Boulder, Austin or Ann Arbor. But the city’s emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem is young, and some of its best and brightest young companies still have to leave the nest and go where the investors are. Roost, one of three technology companies that have officially “graduated” from the LPI program, hatched in Toledo before migrating to New York City. According to Thompson, success stories like Roost’s are reason for optimism about the future of Toledo. “You have to have a long-term view,” Thompson said. “It’s not brain drain. Allow people to go and do what they want to do, but build a place where they want to come back to.”
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ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
OHIO EXPORT INTERNSHIP HELPS OHIO COMPANIES MAKE A GLOBAL IMPACT What is the program?
The Ohio Export Internship Program was designed to assist companies looking to export for the first time and/or to improve their current export initiatives, and serves as a workforce and economic development tool. High-achieving and specially trained students are enrolled in a spring semester export-focused course and then matched with small and medium-sized Ohio companies for a paid summer internship focused on international trade. To incentivize companies to focus on exporting, the State of Ohio provides a 50 percent reimbursement of the internship wages for qualifying small-to-medium-sized businesses.
How did the program start?
In an effort to support the national initiative to increase exports, the Ohio Export Internship Program was created in 2012 by the Ohio Development Services Agency in collaboration with the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. The program was created with the goal of educating undergraduate business students on the fundamentals of exporting and helping small-to-medium-sized companies in Ohio expand to global markets. While many companies in Ohio recognize the opportunities that global markets offer, many lack the resources to pursue an international strategy. The Ohio Export Internship Program matches companies with highly motivated students who have taken export-focused coursework and can assist Ohio companies in making a global impact. The program began with nine students and has since grown to 42 students in 2015, which included an additional branch at the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University.
“This internship is a great opportunity for college students to gain real work experience,” said Ohio Development Services Agency Director David Goodman. “Not only does it provide students with a valuable skill set, but it allows companies to grow their business into new markets.” The Ohio Export Internship Program Showcase took place in August at the Statehouse Atrium and celebrated the achievements of the 2015 internship class. Speakers included The Ohio State University President Dr. Michael Drake, Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel, Congressman Steve Stivers and Ohio Development Services Agency Director David Goodman.
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 4
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
Program Mission
The Ohio Export Internship Program is an effort to increase Ohio exports by educating undergraduate students about the process of exporting and the resources available to small and medium-sized Ohio companies. Businesses benefit by having highly motivated and trained interns focus on growing their export markets. Students gain valuable work experience and develop specialized expertise in global business.
Results
Winner of the 2014 International Program Excellence Award by the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE)
$19.5 million
in estimated global sales
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internship extensions
$500,000
sales during internships
83
Ohio companies involved
17
full-time job offers
102
student interns
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ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
OHIO UNIVERSITY-SOUTHERN SPEARHEADS TECHNICAL DEGREE CENTER AND PARTNERSHIPS Ohio University-Southern (OUS) has partnered with the Ohio Strategic Training Center and three higher education institutions to create more access to technical training with the opening of the Higher Education Regional Partnership and Training Center (RPTC). The technical training center will be located in the former M&M Mailing building at The Point Industrial Park of Lawrence County, Ohio. Allocations from the state budget will provide more than $1 million dollars to support the facility operations and regional students. The 15,000-square-foot facility housing RPTC is nearly three years old and is currently being renovated by the Economic Development Corporation. The newly renovated building will include five classrooms, two health labs and one computer center. In future years, the third floor of the RPTC will house a STEM-focused school. The RPTC facility will be capable of serving 500 students as well as the local community through an adjoining wellness facility. The wellness facility will be the first of its kind for the community. The RPTC will be open to all Ohio colleges and universities and has already partnered with Shawnee State University, Southern State Community College, and the University of Rio Grande to provide educational courses and training that will bolster the region’s targeted industries such as health care, logistics, manufacturing, and safety and security.
A workforce analysis was completed prior to the announcement of RPTC and included an overview of labor markets, three driver industries near each regional campus, and a critique of the report by industry representatives. Overall, 15 panel groups convened and approximately 75 total business/ industry leaders participated in the workforce analysis.Through the workforce analysis, curriculum at RPTC will emphasize healthcare, logistics and manufacturing. Partner institution Shawnee State University (SSU) is considering offering a number of its engineering technologies programs for RPTC. Paul Madden, dean of the College of Professional Studies at SSU, said, “we are continuing to assess the needs of regional employers to determine which technical courses or programs we will offer at RPTC.” Cheryl Hay, deputy chancellor of higher education and workforce alignment at the Ohio Department of Higher Education, attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for RPTC and commended the campus leaders for taking the time to determine how their collective assets could best serve the community both in the economic development and workforce areas. The Regional Partnership and Training Center will open in January 2016 and is expected to serve three to four cohorts of 15-20 students during the first year of operation.
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 4
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
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ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
OHIO CAREER-TECH ALUM COMPETES IN INTERNATIONAL GRAPHIC COMPETITION Spencer Wolf, a 2013 graduate of Kettering Fairmont High School’s career-tech digital design program, represented the United States in this summer’s WorldSkills competition in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was one of 19 U.S. qualifiers in the 43rd international test in 45 categories that included automotive technology, bricklaying, manufacturing, restaurant services and graphic design. While not a medal winner, Wolf labeled the experience of both preparing and competing in the August 11-16 graphic design event as “life changing.” Wolf works with clients at his own design firm, Wolf Graphic Design, while enrolled at Sinclair Community College. He qualified for the WorldSkills events based on his demonstrated knowledge and skills in a seven-hour design test offered to top SkillsUSA competitors. WorldSkills draws competitors from 72 countries within five continents. USA team members who attained medals and medallions were from Missouri (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning), Massachusetts (Welding) and Michigan (Hairdressing). More information can be obtained at http://www.skillsusa. org/worldskills-medalists-announced/ or https://www. worldskills.org/.
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 4
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
A special thank you to all of those who contributed stories and articles: Clark State Community College Short-Term Technical Certificates Diversify Workforce Aimee Belanger-Haas Kathy Wilcox Clark State Community College
Clark State Community College
Hatching New Companies in Toledo Molly Reams Thompson LaunchPad Incubation
Ohio Export Internship helps Ohio Companies Make a Global Impact Sameen Dadfar Ohio Development Services Agency
Ohio University-Southern Spearheads Technical Degree Center and Partnerships Nicole Pennington Cheryl Hay Ohio University-Southern
Ohio Department of Higher Education
Ohio Career-Tech Alum Competes in International Graphic Competition Pat Huston Ohio Department of Education
Thank you for reading ConnectED. We appreciate any suggestions or ideas to improve this newsletter. We welcome story ideas, links to articles of interest, and news releases. Please send story ideas to Jeff Robinson at jrobinson@highered.ohio.gov.
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