Leadership: Workforce Consortium

Author: Ann Gallaher

July 2008

The baby boom generation is a demographic term for the population born between 1946 and 1964.  Word is that baby boomers are over 80 million strong and the first of that generation have begun to retire.  The reality is that the follow-on generation of workers is fewer in number and has different priorities such as work and life balance.  What will this major shift in the demographic landscape of the US workforce mean to your company and the Dayton community?

New partners have entered the scene to work with employers and help address the issue.  The Miami Valley Post is a consortium of local colleges that have band together to make it easier for area employers to post jobs and recruit college graduates.  Such colleges as Wright State, the University of Dayton, Cedarville University, Central State University, Urbana University, Wilberforce University, Wilberforce University, Wittenberg University, and Wilmington College have launched a website designed for the convenience of employers and to ease the retention of graduating students into the local workforce.  Visit http://www.career.wright.edu/mvp/home.html to learn more.

Another group comprised of Montgomery County, Sinclair Community College, the Dayton Development Coalition, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Wright State University, and the Minority Economic Development Council have formed the Regional Workforce Transformation Consortium to put a stronger emphasis on employer’s future workforce needs.  Their vision is to create a more dynamic and responsive system that is employer-centered, data driven, and follows career pathways built in conjunction with targeted industry sectors.  Characterizing and sharing worker demand information with local high schools, colleges and universities, and adult learning centers can equip the region with just-in-time skills.

It is this kind of collaborative, on-of-the-box thinking that the Dayton region is gaining a reputation for around the state of Ohio.  We look forward to collaborating with, serving, and supporting these organizations in their efforts to fill the pipeline with future workers.