This week, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) announced the creation of Ohio’s Business-Education Leader Awards geared at highlighting the important and impactful work of business advisory councils.

These awards will identify and celebrate local business advisory councils that demonstrate excellence in developing professional skills for future careers, excellence in building partnerships and excellence in coordinating work-based learning experiences. 

Ohio is home to more than 120 business advisory councils. It is required by statute that every school district have a business advisory council. These locally focused partnerships convene education and business leaders to engage in dialogue, build trust and identify strategies that transform the student learning experience. The on-going, intentional collaboration can result in a more responsive education system based on regional economic drivers and needs, more relevant learning experiences for students that include work-based learning opportunities and enduring partnerships between schools and local industries. Especially in these trying times, collaboration is more important than ever. 

At the Ohio Chamber, we believe strongly in the impact that a business advisory council can have on developing the future leaders and workforce of local communities. We have been engaged with many of the other leading business groups and ODE on how to assist and strengthen business advisory councils. This announcement comes as part of our on-going collaboration with many of the other leading business groups and ODE, and we look forward to continuing to work with them on how to better improve the leaders and workforce of the future.