The Industry Sector Partnership grant program, alongside TechCred, are two programs recently launched by Lt. Governor Jon Husted and the Ohio Office of Workforce Transformation aimed at developing Ohio’s workforce through education and collaboration.

TechCred, a program that gives businesses the chance to upskill their current and future workforce through earned tech-related credentials, has already gone through two rounds of application periods for businesses where 444 Ohio employers were approved resulting in 3,187 credentials to upskill Ohio workers. A second round of applications opens for Ohio businesses on March 2, 2020.

The Industry Sector Partnership grant program follows the successful TechCred in that it’s also helping shape Ohio’s workforce, but through developing workforce strategies in specific regions around Ohio with the goal of collaboration between local businesses, education and training providers and community stakeholders, creating a pipeline that meets not only the needs of job creators, but the local economy as well. Through grant funding, the Industry Sector Partnership will support these partnerships by providing program coordinators, new tools and programs and more.

Applications for the Industry Sector grant program are being accepted now until 5 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2020. Applications are open for existing and emerging partnerships. Click here for qualifications and how to apply.

Through Lt. Governor Husted and the Ohio Office of Workforce Transformation, steps are being taken for another statewide initiative, but this time, for high school students. The internship initiative seeks to attract young people to technology-related career fields by connecting them early on with businesses, which helps expand their knowledge and skill set as well as retain talent for Ohio businesses.

The program isn’t launched yet and is seeking feedback from businesses to help design and shape the program to best meet the needs for a trained, skilled workforce in technology roles.

To participate and help shape the internship program, take this short survey by March 20, 2020.