GinaKay Maddox, Moderator
Brent Hendren, Resource Delegate

Workgroup Members:
Michelle Anderson, Bill Bennett, William Bush, Nancy Clem, Dr. James R. Emore, Steve Kasarnish, Diane Johnson, Doreen Kuster and Howard Lawson

The Development of our Workforce for 2025

The primary goals of "workforce development" are to prepare and maintain a viable and versatile workforce by providing the skills and training that are in demand by our local employers, and to insure positive growth in the local economy by retaining jobs for the people of this community. In order to accomplish this, opportunities for employment must be available to all residents, through the collaboration of our educational systems, business and industrial apprenticeship programs and community resources.

Realizing that the ongoing improvement of the educational, technical and interpersonal skills of our residents is the lifeblood of our economic security, the Workforce Development Committee submits their projections for the workforce in this community in the year 2025.

The Impact of Life-long Learning

1. This community actively fosters collaborative learning opportunities between local educational institutions up through the post-secondary level. Simultaneously, employers continue to develop in-house training programs while continuing to make out-sourced training available for the upgrading of workers’ skills.

2. Dual expectations on the part of employers and employees promote the philosophy of life-long learning. Companies will continue to invest in training, and employees act on their responsibility to participate in the furthering of their own job skills as a condition of continued employment and/or advancement.

3. Standing committees consisting of members from the private and public sectors in business, labor and education, have been formed to provide opportunities to all residents for gainful employment in both highly skilled, and minimally skilled fields of employment.

4. Education has become more adaptable to the logistical needs of workers. This has been accomplished by offering on-site, and online college courses with certification programs recognizing a broad variety of expertise.

5. Mentoring programs in the workplace, along with private and community-based vocational opportunities are accessible to the workforce and general community.

6. Cross-training, i.e. learning new jobs and learning new ways to perform the same jobs through different processes, is a standard feature in many technical and manufacturing environments.

The Impact of Valuing Diversity in the Workforce

In the year 2025 we’ve learned to celebrate the diversity of our community and we unanimously embrace the concept that ALL work is honorable and there is dignity in all legitimate employment. We have come to accept the fact that every son or daughter is not going to college, and therefore, a crucial system change has taken place in the way we influence peoples’ perceptions about their own occupations. Where skilled trades were for a period of time underemphasized, we now legitimize the value of vocational training so that we can (almost) guarantee the success of all students –young or old.

The Strategic Role of Education in Developing Our Workforce

In 2025, parents and children understand that "going to college" is not a career but only a means to achieving certain career objectives. Through effective collaborative efforts, we have provided students and parents with other ways to define "success" other than the attainment of a four-year college degree. As a result, students who do enter college have a better focus on their end objective, thus reducing the number of persons who drop out not having completed a degree.

1. Beginning in elementary school, the standards and necessary academic proficiencies have been revised and enhanced, assuring that the fundamentals of learning – reading, computation, problem-solving and communication skills, are in place for every student in our community so that continued learning is always achievable.

2. At the middle school and secondary levels, academic standards continue to be emphasized. Also incorporated is the idea of providing earlier exposure to career information for professional, technical and skilled occupations, so that all youth, especially those who may in any way be "at risk", from a socioeconomic or academic standpoint, may preview career options long before having to make actual career decisions.

1. At the university level, workforce development has been identified as an institutional initiative undertaken by all state universities in the Northeast Ohio region. Workforce development has become a self-assigned and highly visible priority among the universities. A single office has been established and dedicated exclusively for the regional coordination of services and activities, which promote the educational and training needs of the workforce

2. Universities have developed partnering links with community organizations, employers, libraries, trade councils, government offices and high schools. The role of the university has become strategic in encouraging continuous communications among these groups so that the ever changing needs of the marketplace can be addressed promptly.

3. Universities have developed workforce education and training programs, which meet the needs of employees and employers. A synthesis now exists which enables universities and industry experts to jointly develop curriculum, which meets the company’s needs while providing equivalent academic accreditation through certificates, Associate degrees and even advanced degrees.

4. Because diversity is a transparent feature of every workforce development initiative in our community, the universities too, have assumed an increased level of accountability by expanding efforts to search out and include groups which have traditionally been underserved (e.g. the disabled).

In this region, we have experienced the fact that "new" jobs may not be coming forth, but rather, new processes and new skills are necessary to work in the same field. The technology is always changing. The constant upgrading of skills is critical as is the flexibility of the workers to adapt to these changes.

1. Productivity will continue to increase as companies automate. This trend translates into fewer low skill jobs in manufacturing yet we are experiencing a higher demand for machinists, engineers and technologists to design and run highly automated manufacturing facilities.

2. Highly complex computer technology is becoming easier to operate. As a result employers’ demands for highly skilled workers may slow down as technology makes operations simpler. Nevertheless, computer skills will continue to emerge as a core requirement in most industries.

3. It is certain that technological advances will be missed if our local workforce does not access adequate training in the specific task related uses of new technology.

The Impact of Globalization on Our Local Workforce

1. We learned years ago with the relocation of the rubber industry which had sustained this community for so long, that we could not afford to isolate ourselves in terms of our products or the production of them. Our ability create and recreate jobs and recruit the best talent to come, live, and work in our community, has been the strength of our economic success in 2025.

2. The global marketplace has made changes in social, cultural and economic opportunities as the world has become more interdependent. Our increased standard of living can be directly attributed to the technological literacy of our workforce.

3. E-commerce and e-businesses have harnessed the Internet to foster virtual work environments. Projects designed overseas, are perhaps being "tweaked" in Arizona, and actually produced here in Akron. The ability of our workforce to think "mobile and global" in its outlook on doing business, has served our community well and kept this region competitive in terms of quality and production.

The Impact of the Interpersonal Skills of Our Workforce

Quality is without question the key. Throughout this report the focus has not been on what type of jobs may exist in 2025 but rather, the preparedness of the people in this community. Technology will change and products will evolve, but the one constant and most important dimension in sustaining our local economy is the development of our human resources. While employers are seeking people with skills, we must also address the personal attributes of the individual worker.

1. In 2025 the "work ethic" has been imported into every dimension of personal development, from grade school through the secondary levels. It has not been taken for granted that these personal skills were necessarily conveyed at home. It was reluctantly conceded early in this century that some forty percent of working age people are not seeking employment.

2. Interpersonal skills are basic, invaluable qualities, which stabilize the workforce and the community. Such characteristics include:
   • Respect (for one’s self, for others and for authority)
   • Self-discipline
   • Teamwork
   • Responsibility and initiative
   • Adaptability
   • Diversity
   • Problem-solving skills
   • Leadership
   • Creativity
   • Communication and listening skills

   • Ethical decision-making

Such skills have been imperceptibly woven into the formal curriculum at al levels. Employers in 2025 not only look for skilled personnel who "show up", but also persons who exhibit the above listed character attributes which strengthen the foundation for a successful, working community.