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COLLEGE 101 • SUMMER-FALL 2022
STEM careers that the Choose Ohio First Program has focused on for the last 14 years.” In many ways, Ohio has been building up for a landmark company arrival like this, and a variety of interconnected programs to fund the jobs of the future are helping create promising career paths for students while supplying businesses’ workforce needs. For students and workers, this means access to scholarships, grants and other resources that can help them secure the education, credentials and additional skills needed to succeed in a constantly evolving employment landscape.
A MULTIFACETED APPROACH
Students can begin working toward pursuing in-demand careers, such as those in STEM fields, before ever leaving high school by way of College Credit Plus (see page 6 for more information). The dual-enrollment program allows high school
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hio could be the Silicon Heartland — and it will be home of the world’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing site within the next decade. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger says the Buckeye State has the talent, infrastructure and economic climate to support the $20-billion megaproject in Licking County. “It’s the largest economic development project in the history of the state of Ohio,” says Rachel Johanson, deputy director at the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation. The project will generate more than 20,000 jobs, from 3,000 Intel positions to 7,000 jobs during construction. Overall, the project is expected to add $2.8 billion to the state’s annual gross state product, according to JobsOhio. “It’s interesting because the workforce needs outlined by Intel are not that surprising and are initiatives Ohio has been investing in for a long time,” Johanson points out. “Those include in-demand jobs like technicians, engineers and other
