Springfield Has a Workforce Plan

Springfield, Ohio has a workforce plan to combat historic workforce shortages, the Great Resignation, and the simple fact that the population is aging. “Workforce shortages intensified in 2020 and 2021 but this has been on our mind for some time. The Greater Springfield Partnership began creating a workforce plan over a decade ago. That planning is paying off,” said Horton Hobbs, Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Springfield Partnership (GSP). “Companies can come to Springfield, confident that our workforce plan can support their growth.”

This plan involves a multi-pronged approach to talent development, talent attraction and retention.

A central component of the talent attraction campaign is targeting people who live in Clark County but work elsewhere. “We know that currently, 56 percent of the working population in Clark County travels outside our community to work,” says Amy Donahoe, director of workforce development for The Greater Springfield Partnership. “This creates significant opportunities to attract these workers by connecting them with jobs in our community. The GSP developed the Clark County Jobs campaign to help people consider Clark County and the career opportunities that exist here.”

While the Clark County Jobs campaign is primarily focused on adults and recent graduates, the GSP is also reaching into the local high schools. YouScience, for example, is a program that helps to pinpoint the interest and skills of students with actual jobs in the community. By focusing on sixteen career clusters, YouScience is making it easy for youth to find career opportunities in their own backyard. “Students are finding career opportunities they can enter upon graduation and learning more about the jobs they could qualify for after receiving their advanced degree,” said Donahoe. 

Kendra Burnside, Talent and Education Coordinator for the Greater Springfield Partnership is taking youth talent attraction to the next level by facilitating Job Discovery Days. These events typically take place at a local high school, creating a comfortable opportunity for students to meet local employers, learn about career opportunities and apply for jobs. In November, for example, an event was held with Cliff Park students and alumni. Eight companies were on hand to discuss current job openings and over 35 students and alumni participated. 

“This hiring event was well attended, with strong connections being made between the teens and young adults in our community, and the employers looking for new talent,” said Burnside. “By connecting talent with employers directly, we eliminated the need to wait for information or to wait to turn in an application. This should expedite the hiring process for our employers.” Students who were interested in technical programs and 4 year degrees were also able to connect with OMJ and Clark State. “Our goal is to help students find their career path in Clark County and we do so by making it clear that every type of opportunity is available here,” said Burnside. 

In addition, OMJ was there to help students with resumes and to talk about their programs for teenagers and young adults. Clark State was there to speak with students about their programs, specifically certificates that don’t require a full 2 or 4 year degree. “Our goal is to connect young people with prospective employers, but also with long term career opportunities. Very often this includes technical training in addition to immediate employment. Bringing the two together paints a broader picture for students looking to enter the workforce,” said Burnside. 

These students, and adults looking to expand their skills, benefit from the talent development initiatives taking place in Clark County.  For example, in 2021 the GSP announced a new workforce development program that is the result of a partnership with Quint Studer and Vibrant Community Partners. “Focusing on training and developing Springfield’s local business community accomplishes four big, overarching goals,” Hobbs told the Springfield News. The program creates training programs that are customized to the needs of Springfield businesses, at an affordable price. Since it is customized for the needs of individual businesses, the program allows for specific upskilling of the local workforce. “We are focused on keeping Springfield businesses strong through the ongoing training and development of talent. This in turn is also beneficial for the new companies joining them,” he added. 

Gabriel Brothers is among the companies who have chosen to grow in Springfield. In October they announced that they will be opening a facility in the city and creating over 800 jobs. “Our unmatched workforce was part of their decision to choose Springfield,” said Hobbs. “Navistar is another company that chose to grow in Springfield this year, and that’s because of our talent,” he added.