In an article titled, “The 10 Best College Presidents: Ohio State's Gee and Nine Other Dynamos,” Time Magazine declares Ohio State University’s president – Gordon Gee – one of the best college presidents in the U.S., underscoring the powerful influence of Ohio’s largest higher education institution.
The author of the article asserts that the U.S. needs to step up its game in terms of education, become more creative, more flexible and more innovative in more ways. Gee is doing just that. As president of the Ohio State University and one of the most experienced university executives in the U.S., Gee is campaigning for a revolution in higher education.
Gee talks with Time about his belief that universities today must be engines of regional economies. When a company is looking to hire new employees, it isn't the percentage of the total population that matters. Instead, it is the number of available people with the right knowledge and skills from which employers can choose. With the nation’s preeminent leader in higher education, it’s no surprise that Ohio’s workforce is marked with educated and skilled employees.
Gee’s higher education leadership philosophy centers on preparing students for the real world. "We make no apologies," Gee said, for "working to ensure that our graduates have the skills needed to thrive." Learning to think critically need not conflict with learning to work productively, he suggested.
Click here to read the full Time Magazine article about why Ohio State’s higher education leader is considered one of the best in the nation.
A recent announcement by GE Aviation proves that Ohio’s aerospace advancements continue to take flight. The company recently announced a $200 million revitalization of its Evendale, Ohio headquarters, further strengthening Ohio’s reputation as a global leader in the aerospace industry.
The revitalization effort is a public-private partnership that includes a $100 million investment by GE Aviation for capital improvements, a 15-year Job Retention Tax Credit from the Ohio Department of Development (valued at over $100 million) and a $1 million dollar grant from the village of Evendale to launch the revitalization. Test and production facilities will be modernized, inefficient buildings will be razed and new equipment for long-term stability and growth will be acquired. The revitalization is expected to help retain 5,000 jobs while positioning Ohio as a premier location for growth in aerospace and aviation.
GE Aviation is a world-leader in providing commercial and military jet engines and components as well as avionics, electric power and mechanical systems for aircrafts. The company employs about 7,400 people in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky, with a payroll exceeding $600 million. GE is also one of Ohio’s leading exporters, taking advantage of Ohio’s central location and world-class multi-modal transportation infrastructure.
According to David Joyce, president and CEO of GE Aviation, Ohio’s talented aerospace workforce is why the company calls Ohio home. Ohio houses two federal laboratories, ten leading universities with doctoral-level programs in aerospace-related disciplines and over 450 aerospace manufacturers and suppliers. Ohio also leads the nation in advanced propulsion and power technology.
Click here to read more about the revitalization project.
I recently spoke with Mark Laskovics, president and COO of Girindus America, Inc., about Ohio’s bioscience strengths and how his company finds the skilled workforce needed to succeed from Ohio’s higher education system.
Girindus is a technology-driven company offering the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries comprehensive skills, including process R&D, cGMP-compliant scale-up and manufacture of active ingredients, as well as regulatory support in the bioscienceindustry.
He stressed the importance of Ohio’s strong workforcestemming from the state’s many universities and colleges. Finding the right employees is crucial for success in any industry, especially in the biosciencefield. Girindus benefits from Ohio’s commitment to developing, educating and retaining a skilled workforce.
Check out the interview with Mark to find out more about Ohio’s bioscienceleadership and Girindus.
By: Matt McQuade, Ohio Business Development Coalition
Today, more than ever, states, regions and communities are placing a strong emphasis on attracting advanced energy investment. In this rapidly growing industry, Ohio is in a strong position to attract new companies, expand existing ones and transition suppliers that have historically served other industries. Ohio’s success can be seen through accolades from 3rd parties such as Site Selection magazine and Pew Charitable Trust where Ohio has ranked 1st and 4th respectively for total alternative energy investments and job growth.
When telling Ohio’s alternative energy story, wind energy tends to receive much of the focus. This is understandable, given the fact that Ohio is home to over 100 active wind suppliers. The state’s concentration of bearing manufacturers, foundries, fabricators, machine shops, fasteners, controls and other components makes it an ideal location for wind suppliers and turbine manufacturers. In fact, Ohio’s existing supply chain has gained it the distinction of being the #2 state in the U.S. for wind manufacturing potential. Wind energy, however, does not exclusively tell Ohio’s advanced energy story (nor does any other individual technology). Ohio is also positioned for substantial success in solar energy.
As in the wind industry, Ohio’s manufacturing strength separates its solar potential from other locations around the world. Many of the state’s existing manufacturers that historically served other industries have been and can be retooled to also supply solar OEMs. This competitive advantage is accentuated by the skilled workforce that is already in place to produce solar components. Ohioans that previously worked in the glass industry are transitioning to producing photovoltaics.
This is perhaps most evident in Northwest Ohio, where a history of manufacturing excellence in glass technology has transformed into one of the leading regions in the nation for thin-film solar production. A leading factor in Northwest Ohio’s solar industry growth, and perhaps the area in which Ohio most separates itself from other states in, is higher education. Through initiatives such as the $1.6 billion Ohio Third Frontier, in partnership with the state’s universities, Ohio is advancing solar research. The Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC) is a state-funded collaboration between three Ohio universities that provide a world-class science and technology platform employing second and third generation photovoltaics materials tailored primarily for applications in clean energy generation. Successful companies such as First Solar, Inc. and Xunlight Corporation were spin-offs from the University of Toledo, which has been pioneering advancement in the solar industry for years.
Ohio lawmakers worked across the aisle to create the third most aggressive advanced energy portfolio standard (AEPS) in the nation, requiring 6,000 megawatts of new renewable capacity by 2025. Ohio’s AEPS constitutes a substantial market for solar generation in Ohio, given that at least 50% of the required renewable component must come from within the state. These benchmarks may even be exceeded when considering Ohio’s distribution capabilities to large concentrations of population on the east coast and in the Midwest. If solar power is being generated in large quantities in Ohio, solar manufacturers will locate in close proximity to supply the demand for generation capacity.
Assets that make Ohio a prime investment location for other industries also lend to its attractiveness for solar energy. Such features include the state’s location, transportation infrastructure, skilled workforce, reformed tax structure and manufacturing strength. In the solar industry specifically, Ohio sets itself apart through its universities that successfully research and develop new technology, spin-off companies and place educated individuals into the workforce. Ohio’s higher education excellence is boasted by initiatives such as the $1.6 billion Ohio Third Frontier and Advanced Energy Jobs Stimulus program. Finally, Ohio’s AEPS, utilities and distribution capacity constitute a substantial solar energy demand. Although Ohio’s story in the solar industry is less known, the state is ahead of the curve and poised to capture millions in capital investment and thousands of new jobs.
Human resources experts will be the first to tell you that work:life balance is crucial to attracting and retaining new talent. Being in an environment that encourages you to balance life and work is critical. The Ohio promise is that you can achieve professional success within the context of a fulfilling life. One Ohio executive after another has shared their story how they – and their employees – have achieved work:life balance. Click here to hear from other Ohio executives.
Debbie Holy and Ellie Chalko know what it’s all about – people. They founded Cynergies Consulting, Inc., a privately held, nationally certified Women-Owned business, that sources and delivers the most critical component in the technology industry – human capital. Leveraging their backgrounds in human resources and operations management, Debbie and Ellie have found just the right mix of work:life balance for themselves and their employees.
I recently spoke with Debbie and Ellie about how their company has benefited from Ohio’s commitment to work:life balance.
Click here for the complete interview with Debbie Holy and Ellie Chalko.
Gee talks with Time about his belief that universities today must be engines of regional economies. When a company is looking to hire new employees, it isn't the percentage of the total population that matters. Instead, it is the number of available people with the right knowledge and skills from which employers can choose. With the nation’s preeminent leader in higher education, it’s no surprise that Ohio’s workforce is marked with educated and skilled employees.
