“We’re excited to be one of the first organizations to pilot Employer Spotlight as a proactive solution to the talent shortage,” said Horton Hobbs IV, vice president, economic development, for the Greater Springfield Partnership (GSP). “This is an enormous opportunity to strengthen our local community and ensure economic prosperity for years to come.”
The GSP started looking at YouScience, an aptitude career assessment, several years ago to use for schools to guide its students in their life and career. The program shows non-traditional careers and uses 16 career “clusters” that show the different jobs and skills within a certain career.
The schools have access to the YouScience Aptitude & Career Discovery where students take two types of assessments — one in middle school and one in high school — through several brain games that help find their skill sets, strengths and weaknesses, and interests. Students get best-fit career opportunities personalized to their results, and they can explore local businesses where their aptitudes align with required skills. All Clark County schools but one use YouScience.
Amy Donahoe, the GSP’s director of workforce development, said the current program connects employers and schools.
“We will do industry specific information sessions to different schools, but every school is very different, and we work to meet the needs of the schools and how to guide them best because it really depends on the results,” said Donahoe.
Through the pilot program, local businesses can sign up and share their information and career opportunities, such as work-based learning programs, internships, apprenticeships and entry-level job openings, to students who match the aptitudes the organization is looking for.
“This program is opening doors for our students. They’re learning that they have aptitudes for careers they may have never considered before,” said Robert Hill, chief executive officer and superintendent of Springfield City School District. “They can apply for internships with these local businesses and gain the skills needed to be hired when they graduate or know what majors to pursue in college.”
By using the Employer Spotlight, the GSP said it will help create a recruiting ecosystem for the community, build relationships with local schools and communities, and put career information in relevant places to make sure students with certain aptitude and interest matches have opportunities.
“Our students have the skills to support our local businesses, and in turn, our businesses have high-demand, competitive job opportunities available to these students,” Donahoe said. “With this program, we’re making sure these groups are connected. Doing so ensures Springfield and Clark County get ahead of the talent shortage problem — we’re doing something about it.”
This pilot program is available to any business in the Springfield area. There are three plans with 11 feature options — free with only one feature, basic with five features for $1,000 a year, and premium with all 11 features for $5,000 a year.
A ClarkCounty.jobs employer spotlight will also be included every other month for the basic plan and every month for the premium plan.
“Ohio students have the talent to fill the in-demand jobs local businesses require, they just need to be shown what’s out there. At YouScience, we’re making sure every student has the opportunity for a successful future, and ensuring businesses can access the talent they need to foster growth today — and, for years to come,” said YouScience Co-Founder and CEO Edson Barton.
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