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Data in the Dayton-Springfield region points to the existence of a serious skills gap. According to the latest available data from ohiomeansjobs.com, the following positions are open within a 40-mile radius of Dayton: 453 Machine/CNC Operators, 118 welding, 1742 banking positions, 71 insurance positions, 255 HVAC technicians, and 736 Registered Nurses. While this list is not comprehensive of all openings in our region, the skills gap is obvious.
Clark State Community College recognizes the existence of a skills gap and is addressing it through degree and certificate offerings. Clark State has aligned its programs with the occupational needs, and has invested in our Banking; Insurance; Information Technology; Cybersecurity; Registered Nursing; Nurse’s Assistant; Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling; Welding; Manufacturing; and Agriculture programs, as well as transfer programs to our four-year university partners. Additionally, our Workforce and Business Solutions division reaches out in the following ways to further address the gap:
- Working directly with employers to identify skills needed to increase employment and enhance the skills of incumbent workers;
- Identifying the "symptoms" of low employment and crafting collaborative solutions with employers, OhioMeansJobs, regional chambers of commerce, and Clark State's own Student Affairs offices to implement these solutions;
- Forecasting and seeking input from businesses on emerging occupations and planning for the future of work;
- Collaborating with higher education partners in the region to address this skills gap together, as the Dayton region is fortunate to have multiple two and four-year colleges and universities to help address the skills gap through guided degree pathways.
Higher education is a critical player in regional economic development and better quality of life. In Mary Alice McCarthy’s 2015 study “Beyond the Skills Gap: Making Education Work for Students, Employers, and Communities,” she discusses the increase in jobs that require some post-secondary education as well as the financial and quality of life impacts of those who do not pursue such credentials. She references a Pew Research Center study that “confirms the negative consequences for those without postsecondary education: 22 percent of young adults with just a high school diploma live in poverty today, compared with 7 percent in 1979. Not only are non-college-goers likely to be poor, they also have significantly worse health outcomes than their counterparts.”
DETAILS: Clark State expands tuition discount for military families
The case for post-secondary education is clear, as the impact of higher education can result in higher earning potential as well as increased wellness. The bottom line is that higher education—particularly when a student begins with an affordable option, such as a community college—is an excellent investment in his or her future.
An often-quoted study from Georgetown’s Center for Education and the Workforce states that 65% of all jobs created by 2025 will require some college but not necessarily a four-year degree. If our region is to grow and thrive, it is imperative that we work together in order to address this skills gap in our region. Secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, employers, and economic development entities must come together “around the data” and collaborate to address this skills gap.
Aligning programs and services in our region has never been more critical, and the Dayton-Springfield region has the innovative spirit and the collaborative infrastructure to plan for the future of work as well as address the skills needed today.
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