COLLABORATION, CLEVELAND STYLE Cleveland State University, Greater Cleveland Partnership join forces to connect faculty and employers
INSIDE:
> Workforce center working to bridge skills gap > Madison County students become workforce ready > Internship Spotlight: North Central State College > Chancellor Carey visits campuses across the state
Summer 2015
Volume 3 Issue 3
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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- institutions that is benefiting Ohio businesses.
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 3
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
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e’re a little more than a month into the summer, which means talking about the new state budget recently signed by Governor Kasich. I’ve been traveling around the state to visit our campuses and discuss the portions of the budget that impact higher education. I enjoy these visits because it helps me to learn more about what our schools are doing to prepare students for their future.
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In this issue of ConnectED, you’ll see how some of those students are getting ready for the workforce. You’ll learn about a partnership between Cleveland State University and the Greater Cleveland Partnership, read about how Central Ohio Technical College is bridging the skills gap, and even see a few photos from our campus visits. Enjoy this issue of ConnectED, and enjoy the summer. If there is a story you’d like to see in a future issue, let us know. We always like to stay ConnectED with our readers.
John Carey
Chancellor, Ohio Board of Regents
Collaboration, Cleveland Style Cleveland State University, Greater Cleveland Partnership join forces to connect faculty and employers
Workforce Center Bridges Skills Gap COTC is striving to improve workforce preparation through its Workforce Development Innovation Center (WDIC) Madison County Students Become Workforce Ready Employers in Madison County have partnered with Tolles and the Community Improvement Corporation
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Internship Spotlight: Matt Smith, North Central State College Read about one student’s success at North Central State College
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Around Ohio
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Chancellor Carey has been visiting campuses across the state
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ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
Collaboration, Cleveland Style Cleveland State University, Greater Cleveland Partnership join forces to connect faculty and employers
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 3
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
The key to student success after graduation does not lie in classroom instruction alone. Rather, it takes the support of both the academic community and employers that partner with colleges and universities. In northeast Ohio, Cleveland State University (CSU) is working with the region’s leading business consortium to build and encourage new collaboration between faculty and employers to drive students’ professional development to greater levels of excellence. This spring, CSU and the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) co-sponsored an event aimed at generating a dialogue between the business community and members of CSU’s faculty. The event, titled “The Changing World of Work: Aligning Faculty and Employers for Student Success,” included a presentation about the region’s economy and workforce needs. In addressing the critical role that the university plays in dealing with some of these challenges, the event highlighted the importance of two factors that determine how well-prepared students are for employment: the guidance of faculty and experiential learning in the workplace. The event took place at the GCP, known as northeast Ohio’s chamber of commerce, and more than 30 CSU faculty from most of the university’s 10 colleges participated. The panel discussion, “What Employers See in Student Talent,” included representation from the region’s employers, including Michelle Pearson-Casey, director of human resources at Olympic Steel; Ray Leach, chief executive officer of JumpStart, Inc.; and Steve Ostanek, president, Neundorfer, Inc. The discussion was moderated by Edward “Ned” Hill, dean of the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at CSU. Each panel member discussed the importance of technical skills in particular fields and the importance of personal presentation skills, specifically attire, eye contact, timeliness, and utilizing one’s resume to accurately communicate his or her skills and abilities. Cleveland State and the GCP are in the process of planning an even larger event that will take place this fall and promises to bring broad attention to workforce readiness and the importance of internships. Within the past year, CSU’s Career Services Center has evolved from a traditional career services office to the ”Career Success Network,” which seeks to foster internal and external collaboration to prepare students for the workplace. A key component has been actively engaging faculty, and that includes working with department chairs to define how learning outcomes in their majors align with various career pathways. More information about the Division of University Engagement’s efforts to connect students, faculty, and the business community is available at www.csuohio.edu/engagement.
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ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
In an effort to increase Ohio’s economic competitive edge, Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) is striving to improve workforce preparation through its Workforce Development Innovation Center (WDIC). The WDIC opened in 2011 to develop programs and courses that provide innovative solutions to specific business and industry challenges while helping the workforce to develop the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to succeed. The WDIC offers customized contract training that ranges from technical skill enhancement and safety certifications to soft skills development and professional designation exam preparation. Examples of curriculum include management and leadership development training; environmental, safety, and health training; technical skills and computer training; and certificate programs. The uniqueness of the WDIC is its full integration with COTC’s academic division, which provides participants with contract training, customized training for college credit, technical
Workforce Center Bridges Skills Gap
skills training, and overall support for entrepreneurial enterprises. The customized contract training component of the WDIC allows businesses to improve workplace performance while exploring new talent to fill positions and leadership roles. Businesses have a “menu” of items from which to choose to incorporate within a contract, including cultural diversity, emergency response, blueprint reading, and managing QuickBooks. Beginning this summer, employers also have the option of selecting from different culinary workshops. In 2014, Hebron-based linearmotion manufacturer THK utilized the WDIC to create
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 3
an eight-series leadership/ management development program called “Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today.” The series is in response to what many industry leaders identify as a challenge in the “graying workforce” with a lack of internal leadership as the economy rebounds. The WDIC focused on temperament basics, collaboration and teambuilding, interpersonal
“It is the commitment and charge of the Workforce Development Innovation Center at COTC to improve the skills of the workforce and grow economic development in Ohio.” Vicki Maple,
Manager of the WDIC
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business communication, and sensitivity and generational difference training. Following the success of the series, THK is planning additional series focused on skill development. In addition to customized training, two Personal and Professional Development eLearning Programs are available. The first eLearning program is designed for students to help them master the job interview process. The platform includes learning the proper influencing language to differentiate from another candidate, secrets of body language during an interview, and effective rapport building at the job interview. The second eLearning curriculum provides a foundation for advancing careers and tips for success. Facing fears, upgrading clothing choices, and navigating pay scales are a few topics discussed. A major initiative under way for the WDIC in 2015 is to determine how to bridge skill gaps and fill the labor pipeline with workers who will meet job demands as well as the specific needs of the industry, particularly in matters of soft-skill or hardskill training.
“It is the commitment and charge of the Workforce Development Innovation Center at COTC to improve the skills of the workforce and grow economic development in Ohio, providing a competitive edge and furthering the mission of COTC to meet the technical education and training needs of students and employers in the area,� said Vicki Maple, manager of the WDIC.
To learn more, visit http://www.cotc.edu/ Communities/Pages/ Workforce-DevelopmentInnovation-Center.aspx.
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ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
Madison County Students Become Workforce Ready Employers in Madison County have partnered with Tolles Career & Technical Center and the Community Improvement Corporation to create a program that will prepare high school seniors to enter the workforce. This program will provide the opportunity to earn a certificate that will guarantee an interview with a participating company.
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 3
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
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he Madison County Workforce Readiness Credential program, a partnership between employers in Madison County, local schools, and the Community Improvement Corporation, prepares high school seniors to enter the workforce while they earn a certificate that guarantees an interview with a participating company. The Madison County Workforce Readiness Credential was introduced to all high school seniors in the Madison County school districts during the 2014-2015 school year, and four students graduated in May 2015 from the program. As part of the Workforce Readiness Credential program, participating students must tour a local business, serve 20 community service hours, attend one job fair, take part in a mock interview, and complete the skills assessment test through OhioMeansJobs during the application process.
“Students look at members of the business (community) as their peers and do not feel as intimidated by the industry in general.” BETH FOGELSONG, CAREER CONNECTIONS COORDINATOR AT TOLLES CAREER & TECHNICAL CENTER
Once enrolle, the students are guided through a program focused on a variety of soft skills, including strong commitment to attendance, a commitment to service, communication and writing skills, etiquette, time management, teamwork, and attitude. Beth Fogelsong, a career connections coordinator at Tolles Career & Technical Center, said Madison County employers thought they would be able to train future employees on technical skills, but not the soft skills covered in the credential program. The credential also recognizes a student’s work experience in high school and the attainment of a high school diploma or GED. Upon completion of the credential, Tolles enrollees receive an iPad. Although the program is in the beginning stages, Fogelsong said she believes the exposure to members of the business community will help students foster relationships that will benefit their careers. “Students look at members of the business (community) as their peers and do not feel as intimidated by the industry in general,” she said. Kent Dell, executive director of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, affirmed the Workforce Readiness Credential. “This program is important to economic development because there are needs that businesses have, and right now that is to hire motivated individuals who know what it means to be a good employee,” Dell said. “We’re working to address needs in our community by preparing our students for the workplace.” Seniors William Blythe, Phillip Seidenstricker, Jacob Stickel and Brady Taylor are among the first to earn the Madison County Workforce Readiness Credential. Their experiences range from welding and engineering to diesel power sports.
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ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
Internship Spotlight:
Matt Smith,
North Central State College “I REALLY LIKE WHAT I’M DOING. I’M THINKING OF CONTINUING MY EDUCATION TOWARD A BACHELOR’S DEGREE.”
When Matt Smith was looking to transfer to another college to complete his degree, North Central State College in Mansfield quickly jumped to the top of his list. “My credits transferred into NC State very well,” said Smith, who started at the school in the fall of 2013. “I only needed the engineering courses and three others (to complete my associate degree).” Part of his experience since he’s been at North Central State has been an internship with Fives-ST (pronounced “feevs”), a medium-sized multinational engineering services firm in Mansfield. Dan Balcer, president of Fives-ST, said the company has about 8,000 employees with offices in 30 countries, including a corporate office in Paris, France. The company operates four divisions in Ohio.
“I thought it would be overwhelming, but they helped me understand what I was being asked to do,” Smith said. “At first it was simple (tasks). Now it’s really exciting. I’m getting to contribute to the drawings and designs. It’s exactly what I wanted to do.” His success at Fives is continuing in the classroom. “My performance since I enrolled at NC State has been higher. I really like what I do, and I have a lot of family support here in the area,” Smith said. Part of that support is his growing family. He and his wife have a 21-month-old son, and another child on the way. That baby will arrive around the same time Matt graduates with his associate degree in engineering design.
Balcer opened the Mansfield office in 2011 with four employees. Today, there are 20, and Balcer said he is looking to expand.
As for his future plans, Smith said his supervisor has already asked if he is interested in staying with Fives.
“This office has clients all over the world. We specialize in treatment lines for flat steel and wire, as well as re-heating steel (in preparation for further processing),” he said.
“That’s a really easy decision. I really like what I’m doing. I’m thinking of continuing my education toward a bachelor’s degree,” Smith said. Balcer said Fives offers tremendous potential for Smith as he embarks on his career.
Fives also seeks talented engineers to complete its work for demanding clients. In addition to Smith, the company has hired two graduates from NC State and one other intern. Smith began his internship at Fives last fall.
“This office has a small-town feel, but with international opportunities,” he said.
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 3
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ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
Around Ohio Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor John Carey has been visiting Ohio’s college campuses to discuss higher education items within the recently signed 2015 state budget and how those items impact and relate to each public institution.
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Chancellor Carey visited the The Desich SMART Commercialization Center at Lorain County Community College.
The Chancellor visited the Bowling Green State University and toured the campus Flight Center.
Chancellor Carey joined University of Toledo President Sharon Gaber at a dedication ceremony for the University of Toledo’s new 28-foot research vessel that will advance environmental research into water quality, harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and other issues impacting the Great Lakes region.
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 3 Issue 3
ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business
A special thank you to all of those who contributed stories and articles: Collaboration, Cleveland Style Byron White Cleveland State University
Workforce Center Bridges Skills Gap Vicki Maple
Workforce Development Innovation Center
An Overview of the Madison County Workforce Readiness Credential Program Beth Fogelsong David Kell Tolles Career & Technical Center
Madison County Chamber of Commerce
Internship Spotlight: Matt Smith, North Central State College Samuel Renfroe North Central State College
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@regents.state.oh.us.
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