Workforce Shortage Coming. . .to Ohio?

Huh?

Unemployment is as high as at any point in 20+ years.  Doom and gloom continue to be the national consensus about the job market.  Yet, the NY Times is writing about a shortage of workers for industry.  And in Ohio?

See this article from July 1.

The article is about Cleveland area companies finding a shortage of skilled workers for manufacturing.

Yikes.

The article reads, "Local leaders worry that the skills shortage now will be exacerbated once baby boomers start retiring. In Ohio, officials project that about 30 percent of the state’s manufacturing workers will be eligible for retirement by 2016.”

I'm not worried.

Licking County's answer to the problem is Workenomics, a trademarked, unique approach to marrying workforce and economic development.  It's been around for 5+ years, but it hired a contractor last year to help do more spade work preparing for that workforce crunch.  Kent Trofholz is organizing efforts to make sure Licking County never has to see skilled jobs go unfilled.

Ohio can solve this too as a state.

Ohio has a supply that few states have. There are homesick Ohioans, people who graduated from our finest technical schools and universities but who, for whatever reason, felt the place to work was outside of the state.

The Mom Network, aided by Ohio colleges, can help lure back those homesick to fill vacancies.

The Mom Network is the moms (and dads) who want to see their kids who left the state for work come back to the state for work. Oh, yeah and bring the grandkids too.

The workers gain. They get a job and they get that job back in their beloved Ohio. So, let's start firing up these networks, and soon.

No Ohio jobs should go unfilled.