State Launches Business Tool, Calls for Businesses to Help Shape In-Demand Jobs List!

Meet Lisa Stroth, Owner at Vocally Yours, LLC
July 14, 2019
Vote Now- NAWBO CBus Member of the Year
July 22, 2019
Meet Lisa Stroth, Owner at Vocally Yours, LLC
July 14, 2019
Vote Now- NAWBO CBus Member of the Year
July 22, 2019

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— InnovateOhio and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation today announced the launch of a new survey tool for Ohio businesses to gather feedback ahead of the creation of the state’s new In-Demand Jobs List. Lt. Governor Jon Husted serves as the Director of both initiatives.

“Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs List is one of the most important tools we have to direct our workforce development efforts,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “No matter where we are in Ohio, we hear from businesses that they can’t find people for the positions that need to be filled. By partnering with businesses on this survey, we hope to create a better In-Demand Jobs List and better tailor job training programs.”

Ohio is required to maintain an up-to-date In-Demand Jobs List. This list directs the spending of 85 percent of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) training funds. There is no requirement that a survey be conducted, however, Ohio has previously chosen to survey employers to make sure state programs meet business needs.

“We want to be sure that the needs of Ohio businesses are reflected in the In-Demand Jobs List so that training dollars are invested towards actually putting people to work,” said Lt. Governor Jon Husted. “We’ve heard the concerns of business leaders, we’ve built a system that fits their needs, and now we need their help by filling out the survey, so we can invest in developing people with the skills that are most in demand.”

Under the leadership of Lt. Governor Jon Husted, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation partnered with the administration’s newly-formed InnovateOhio to overhaul the process for In-Demand Jobs List feedback. The new survey tool, launched through the InnovateOhio Platform, creates a simple user experience and allows businesses to offer input on Ohio’s current and future in-demand jobs in just minutes.

Under the previous system, only the state’s largest businesses in each industry were invited to participate. The updated survey is open to all registered Ohio businesses, giving small and large businesses alike the opportunity to have a voice in how Ohio prepares people for the workforce in the coming years.

Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted conducted meetings with business leaders around the state shortly after taking office to solicit feedback on how the state could better help job seekers find advancement opportunities in Ohio. During those meetings, they received feedback that the In-Demand Jobs Survey was difficult to use and did not allow them to provide useful information to the state, which prompted the overhaul of the process. Of the 2,500 businesses invited to participate, only 86 had actually completed the survey since fall 2018.

The new In-Demand Jobs Survey is available now to businesses at InDemand.Ohio.gov/survey. Ohio’s updated In-Demand Jobs List will be published at the end of 2019.

Watch this video for more information!