Ohio Among the Best States for New College Graduates

Ohio is one of the best states for recent college graduates, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek/Aftercollege.com survey that ranked four of the state's largest cities – Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dayton – among the top 30 nationally for their optimum mix of job openings, salaries and affordable living. Ohio had more cities in the top 30 than any state except Texas.

Located within a day's drive of 60 percent of the U.S. and Canadian populations, Ohio ranks fifth in the nation in the number of headquarters for Fortune 500 companies and is home to 61 of the Fortune 1000. Built upon a legacy of strength in manufacturing and innovative thinking, Ohio continues to be at the forefront of technological advances in such diverse fields as aerospace and aviation, advanced energy, bioscience, polymers and fuel cells. The state also boasts key advantages in transportation and logistics and professional and financial services.

Starting salaries stretch further in Ohio. According to Federal Housing Finance Agency statistics, Ohio ranks among the 10 most affordable states for single-family housing. On average, it costs nearly 35 percent less overall to live in Ohio than in California and 23 percent less than Massachusetts.

With its central location, low cost of living and leadership in key industries, Ohio is an ideal place for young professionals – including the 180,000 high school seniors and 78,000 college students who graduate from Ohio schools each year – to start their careers. Innovative investments such as Ohio Third Frontier attract young professionals, and the Bloomberg Businessweek data reaffirms why young professionals are selecting Ohio. It's the best place to have a personally fulfilling life and a professionally rewarding career, delivering on Ohio's promise as the State of Perfect Balance.

Ranked ninth on the Businessweek list, Columbus -- Ohio's state capital and the 16th largest city in the U.S. -- is the second-fastest growing major metropolitan area in the Midwest. Home to 1.75 million residents and 15 Fortune 1000 companies, central Ohio is a growing center for established and emerging companies in finance, insurance, information technology and biosciences. Major area employers include Nationwide, American Electric Power, Huntington Bank, the federal Defense Supply Center, Cardinal Health and The Ohio State University.

Ranked 17th, Cleveland has diverse job opportunities in manufacturing, science, engineering and biotechnology. Major employers headquartered in Cleveland include Eaton, Parker Hannifin, Sherwin-Williams and KeyCorp.

Retail, customer service, wholesale and retail trade and health-care opportunities abound in 20th-ranked Dayton. Large employers include Premier Health Partners and Kettering Health Network.

Cincinnati, ranked 23rd, offers jobs in key industries such as manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and insurance. Major employers include Fortune 500 companies such as AK Steel, Ashland Inc., Cinergy Corp., Federated Department Stores, Fifth Third Bancorp, The Kroger Co., Procter & Gamble Co. and Western & Southern Financial.

The ranking was based on the number of job postings on AfterCollege.com, city unemployment rates and the average annual pay for all occupations as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor. Wages were adjusted for cost of living, using data from the Council for Community & Economic Research in Arlington, Va. Salaries rose 2.5 percent, to an average of $44,525, for the 30 cities in the 2010 ranking.

Ohio Wins $400M for Education in Race to the Top

On Tuesday Ohio was approved for $400 million in funding from the federal Race to the Top school reform grant program. This was the maximum amount Ohio requested.

Race to the Top is a $787 billion federal stimulus package that rewards states promising education reforms designed to improve outcomes and boost high-school retention rates and college preparedness.

This was the second-round of funding awarded for Race to the Top - only Delaware and Tennessee received funding in the first-round.

“Our students deserve every opportunity to succeed in and beyond the classroom, and I believe the creative and forward-thinking initiatives outlined in our winning application provide just that,” said Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. “Ohio has shown its commitment to encouraging innovation by passing successful economic development initiatives like Ohio Third Frontier, and this award builds on our job creation strategy by helping prepare the next generation of Ohio entrepreneurs and innovators.”

The Race to the Top application was submitted by the Ohio Department of Education in June. Ohio was selected as a finalist in late July and a team from Ohio presented to the U.S. Department of Education earlier this month.

Ohio has 538 school districts and individual schools representing about 1 million children who agreed to participate in Race to the Top programs. At least $200 million is heading directly to participating schools.

From K-12 schools that challenge and inspire students to be imaginative and analytical in their thinking, to post secondary institutions that develop hard-working, highly skilled graduates -- Ohio is continually ensuring that employers have a competitive advantage in the 21st century global marketplace.

For more information about Race to the Top and Ohio's commitment to education, click here.

Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachia is Ideal Business Startup Location

Over the past decade, enrollment at U.S. institutions of higher learning has grown by more than 25 percent, reaching 18.5 million in 2007. Much of the growth is due to a boom in adult and distance learning – a trend that Dr. Michael Mark recognized nearly two decades ago.

While serving as director of adult learning services at a major state institution, his passion for quality education inspired him to seek a better way for his distance-learning students to obtain their course materials. Finding none, he created his own.

Two companies later, Dr. Mark is credited with creating a niche industry around the fulfillment of content and course materials for distance learning, career and multi-campus colleges.

A native New Yorker, Dr. Mark went to college at Ohio University and found that Appalachia was “just too pretty a place to leave.” And, when it came time to start his companies, the serial entrepreneur found the ideal business startup location in Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachia.

“I am here because of the Ohio Promise,” Dr. Mark shared in a recent interview with me. “My favorite thing about living in Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachian Region is that you can achieve professional success within the context of a fulfilling life.”

Click here to read the rest of my interview with Dr. Mark.

Time Magazine Names Ohio State’s President Nation’s Best Leader in Higher Education

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.

Companies Benefit from Ohio’s Academic System

The quality of an academic system is an important consideration in selecting a location for capital investment. Ohio has an impressive education structure that is dedicated to training skilled workers in a variety of industries.

BHDP Architecture is one of Ohio's leading companies and a design innovator. Their business thrives on a diverse client base and the top architect and designer talent they find in Ohio. The state's impressive higher education system plays an integral part in BHDP's business success.

Paul Orban, BHDP's higher education market leader, collaborates with higher education clients to overcome the challenges they face with existing facilities and creates visually appealing places to learn. By promoting a sense of community between students, faculty, staff and alumni, BHDP helps to create an interactive learning environment for students to succeed.

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