Shaping the Future of Education to Meet the Needs of Employers

RAVENNA, Ohio, Aug. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- An organization has emerged in response to the cries for help they're hearing from employers about not being able to find qualified workers.

"The economic impact of an under-developed workforce is stunning," said D. L. Chapman, Superintendent of the Portage County Educational Service Center.

Not every child should aspire to attend college, the group contends. That's because a large percentage that do start college either can't decide on a career choice, don't complete their degree or simply go through the motions. This program allows students to work as they pay for college, if that's where they end up, and avoid the crushing student loan debt.

Enter Ohio Career Systems, an organization formed to help employers develop skilled workers while the students are in high school. The programs that are being developed for the 2013-2014 school year are innovative and encouraging.

These programs are changing the face of high school education by using a blended learning model to deliver both academics and vocational training at the same time. The result will be a high school graduate who is certified in basic workplace safety and procedures, the "soft skills" employers crave, and specific skills in a given area, like construction, welding or precision machining. The career choices are virtually unlimited. Ohio Career Systems is designed to train qualified workers in almost any field.

Soft Skills 
Referring to the more personal aspects of education, soft skills are defined as the responsible behaviors that used to be taught at home: Being on time, sitting up straight, respecting supervision, good attendance, staying away from drugs and learning basic daily living activities like buying car insurance or opening a bank account.

Employers are actively seeking employees that have clean driving records and can pass a drug screening, and believe it or not, these employees are increasingly difficult for employers to find. Some employers report that they have restricted the growth of their companies because of a lack of a skilled workforce to draw from.

Blended Learning 
Leveraging today's technology and the increasing availability of electronic curriculum delivery, Ohio Career Systems has developed a boutique high school model, consisting of academic education and career training combined. Part of the school week is dedicated to ensuring the student is academically viable and the rest is dedicated to teaching them the skills they need.

The rest of the week, students learn hands-on, beginning with the basics like first aid and CPR, and moving toward workplace safety certification and the essentials of the specific vocational area. Following this basic training, students move into specific skills training, such as how to read a blueprint, take accurate measurements or read a wiring diagram. As the students progress through high school, the learning becomes more sophisticated. Students move from basic welding into welding techniques for titanium and aluminum, for example.

Ohio Career Systems' model facilitates internships, mentoring and coaching and even job placement. Ohio Career Systems can train students in virtually any field, provide individual academic assistance and deliver the skilled, home-grown workforce today's employers need.

"Boutique schools are the way of the future," said Chapman. "We're developing a pipeline for workforce development that will meet the needs of the job creators for years to come."

School Structure 
The schools themselves can be set up in a variety of ways. Charter schools are independently sponsored schools, run by private organizations that are funded with state and federal education dollars. Educational Service Centers like Portage County's can partner with local school districts across Ohio to build programs that produce graduates with a diploma from their home high school. And school districts themselves can create academies within their own high schools. Whichever way the school is set up, the result is the same; high school graduates that have the option of entering an apprenticeship, going straight to work, or heading for college, able to pay as they go.

Ohio Career Systems programs are employer driven. They are collaborations with employers that leverage shared services. They are economical to provide at no cost to employers other than time and space.

SOURCE Ohio Career Systems