RESTAURANT DELIVERY SERVICE GROWS IN DAYTON
One of the biggest questions on the mind of any business leader is: “Will I be able to hire the skilled workers I need to keep my company strong?”
I know I think about it a lot. And I’m not alone.
A shortfall of skilled workers is a major concern for businesses throughout Ohio. During the current decade, Ohio faces a deficit of over 190,000 positions for which there won’t be qualified applicants.
This “skills gap” means companies leave positions open because they can’t find appropriately qualified candidates or, worse, hire candidates who don’t have the right credentials or qualifications.
This problem is particularly severe in “STEM” fields, meaning science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Because growth in the STEM sector is rapid, the skills gap is more pressing.
Thankfully, there’s a solution: Investments in quality early education.
Recently, two nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations — ReadyNation, consisting of business leaders, and Mission: Readiness, consisting of retired generals and admirals — teamed up to release a report in Dayton demonstrating that early education is crucial to strengthening Ohio’s workforce and our national security.
These deficits are as significant for math skills as they are for literacy. They lead to even more problems down the road: Nearly 40 percent of Ohio’s incoming college freshmen require at least one remedial education course.
Fortunately, quality early childhood education programs can help close achievement gaps and skills gaps alike. These programs harness a child’s natural curiosity and use it to build an understanding of early math and science concepts. Here in Ohio, our Early Learning & Development Standards include topics and content that help lay the groundwork for an understanding of STEM disciplines.
The military also faces difficulty as a result of these deficits in skills and achievement.
At the report release event, Mission: Readiness member Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Deborah Ashenhurst, former Adjutant General for the State of Ohio, pointed out that members of our armed forces often need to be able to comprehend complex instructions, write clearly, master computer software, and have well-developed communication and social skills. With over 16,000 scientists working for the Army alone, and with over 70 percent of youth aged 17-24 ineligible for military service due in part to poor academic preparation, it’s easy to see the national security imperatives here.
The Ohio Early Childhood Education program, sometimes known as ECE, serves 4-years-olds whose families have incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. In Ohio, 43 percent of children are in families below that level of income.
Yet, in 2016, ECE provided pre-K for just 8 percent of 4-year-olds in Ohio. Even including children served by Head Start, only a combined 20 percent of these children were served. That lack of access now leads to a skills gap later.
That’s why I urge our lawmakers to expanded resources for pre-K. Making those investments will help us close our state’s skills gap, boost our workforce, and strengthen national security.