By Gongwer Staff
Posted: May 8, 2023 10:19 AM

Funding for job training programs hosted by community colleges is the No. 1 budget request of the statewide organization representing those schools.

Jack Hershey, president of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, told the Senate Workforce & Higher Education Committee on Thursday that current such short-term programs receive no operating budget (HB 33) support from the state.

"And yet you will find these programs being operated at every community college in the state, as we strive to find ways to meet the workforce needs of local employers, even if that means scraping together funds from a variety of different sources just to be able to offer limited programs," he said.

Mr. Hershey called the existing situation "not a sustainable strategy that appropriately recognizes the workforce needs of Ohio."

Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) asked what community colleges are doing to evaluate whether existing programs are producing workers needed to fill in-demand jobs.

Mr. Hershey said community colleges by their nature and the way they are funded by the state have to be flexible.

"If we have a program that doesn't have either the student demand or the workforce demand we really can't offer it," he said.

Mr. Hershey said one exception is certification programs that are needed to help fill in-demand jobs at an area employer – the kind the group is proposing to receive state funding.

Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) said in the past there has been a "contentious atmosphere" among community colleges and other higher education institutions. He asked if that situation has improved.

"I think it's gotten better because it has to," Mr. Hershey said, adding that all sectors of higher education are needed to meet the state's workforce needs.

OACC also called on the Senate to support the House-approved Ohio Work Ready Grant program.

Mr. Hershey said under that proposal scholarships of up to $3,000 would be available to full-time students at community colleges, regional campuses and Ohio Technical Centers.

He said the awards would only be available to students pursuing credentials in fields on the state's in-demand jobs list or critical jobs lists.

"It is a much more strategic and targeted approach to financial aid in that it will incentivize students to pursue pathways that we know have job openings ready for them upon graduation," he said.

Mr. Hershey also asked committee members to reverse House reductions to state share of instruction funding levels proposed by Gov. Mike DeWine, support wraparound services for at-risk students and restore funding for the proposed WorkFORCE Ohio program.

That last initiative would provide competitive grants to public and private institutions of higher education to increase capacity for high demand training programs.