Lt. Governor Tressel Continues Regional Workforce Conversations at Wright State University
 Lt. Governor Tressel brought together education and business leaders from Dayton and the surrounding areas for a roundtable discussion at Wright State University on the region’s workforce strengths and its needs.
(DAYTON, Ohio)—Lt. Governor Jim Tressel today continued his series of community conversations across the state to inform the development of Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.
The Lt. Governor brought together education and business leaders from Dayton and the surrounding areas for a roundtable discussion at Wright State University on the region’s workforce strengths and its needs.
“As a state, we have come up with so many opportunities for businesses to move into Ohio or expand in Ohio, and that means we are going to have a lot of in-demand jobs that need filled. Governor DeWine is passionate about making sure we are ready to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “So we are going around the state to places like Wright State to see all the good work that's being done to train our workforce of the future and to encourage these students to stay right here in Ohio as they launch their careers.”
 During the roundtable, representatives from Wright State and major employers discussed workforce needs and strategies for strengthening Ohio’s talent pipeline.
At Governor Mike DeWine’s State of the State Address earlier this month, the Governor announced that Lt. Governor Tressel would lead the administration’s effort to create Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.
Thanks to the state’s targeted work to attract economic development projects into local communities, Ohio has added more than 81,000 private sector jobs in the past six years. Further, at least 15,000 additional jobs are coming to Ohio through projects that are currently in development.
By examining the needs and circumstances of Ohio’s various regions, Ohio’s Workforce Playbook will develop a plan to retain existing talent, recruit new talent to Ohio, and rally Ohio’s existing workforce to greater productivity.
During today's roundtable, representatives from Wright State and major employers discussed workforce needs and strategies for strengthening Ohio’s talent pipeline.
Following the roundtable, Lt. Governor Tressel joined Wright State President Dr. Susan Edwards for a tour of the university’s Microelectronics Fabrication Teaching & Research Lab and its Additive Manufacturing Lab. They also stopped by Wright State’s Neuroscience Engineering Collaborative Building, visiting the 3T MRI lab.
“As a top economic driver for the region, 87% of Wright State graduates live and work in the area,” said President Edwards. “We were thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce Lt. Governor Tressel to our programs, classrooms, and labs, where innovation and cutting-edge technologies are being utilized and advanced each and every day. We look forward to working together to proactively address the workforce needs of the region and state, and to ensure that Wright State students are ready day one as they begin their careers.”
Wright State plays a key role in helping students increase their employability and achieve their individual potential. The Wall Street Journal ranked Wright State #1 in Social Mobility among public universities in Ohio, and approximately 35% are first generation students. Wright State provides students with innovative opportunities and cutting-edge technology to support their career goals.
During the tour, the Lt. Governor met with students who are training for their future careers at Wright State. One group of students discussed their work as part of an ongoing contest at the nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to develop technologies to make jet engines more efficient.
 Following the roundtable, Lt. Governor Tressel joined Wright State President Dr. Susan Edwards for a tour of the university’s Microelectronics Fabrication Teaching & Research Lab and its Additive Manufacturing Lab. During the tour, the Lt. Governor met with students who are training for their future careers in these labs.
Much of the equipment students were training on were provided by the state through the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s RAPIDS and Super RAPIDS grant programs. These grants support universities, community colleges, and career technical centers in purchasing state-of-the-art equipment for students to use in education and training programs tailored to regional workforce needs.
“The grants we’ve been able to give out under the Governor’s administration are a great first step to equip students with the tools they need to train for their future. But we still have more work to do,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “It’s going to take continued conversations and collaboration between the state, institutions like Wright State, and local leaders to ensure our workforce of tomorrow is ready to take the next step of filling the numerous career opportunities we’re building in the Miami Valley and all across Ohio.”
Lt. Governor Tressel’s visit to Wright State marked his second regional workforce roundtable. He kicked off the conversation about Ohio’s Workforce Playbook two weeks ago with a visit to Cleveland State University.
Similar community discussions will take place across the state to help inform the development of Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.
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