Got brain drain?
Some say Ohio does. But luckily, this can be cured. And Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown is leading the way.
Acknowledging it as an issue that must be addressed, Vice President for Governmental Relations and University Communications at the University of Cincinnati, Greg Vehr, says, “The question is, what are we currently doing, or what should we be doing, that could lead to a reversal in the exodus of young people in the region?”
On December 1, Nancy Zimpher, President of the University of Cincinnati, hosted a summit, aimed at tackling this challenge.
Sen. Brown lead the discussion, which was open to the community.
The UC forum was the first of a six-stop circuit, which Sen. Brown will take through other regions of Ohio.
Business leaders and university presidents attended this round-table, which addressed topics like educational access, affordability and how to adequately prepare Ohio’s students for competitive 21st Century jobs.
Forum participants echoed one key step in this solution: reach them while they’re young.
“There was a lot of conversation around STRIVE and its importance to the region, and the impact that could have on getting people off to a good start early in their educational career,” Vehr says.
This need is particularly felt in the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine).
On the industry side, Sen. Brown was instrumental in passing the SECTORS and CURE Acts this year, which support the development of emerging industries.
Now it’s time to strengthen the educational foundation to prepare the talented workforce needed for Cincinnati’s diverse industries.
As one example of this commitment in action, “Hughes High School is being renovated, and is going to become a STEM focused high school,” Vehr says.
Writer: Jonathan DeHart
Source: Greg Vehr
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