The Ohio Business Resource Network (OBRN) was approached to participate in a panel discussion at the County Commissioners Association of Ohio’s (CCOA) Winter Conference on December 10, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. The session was titled Workforce Success Stories: Learn from the professionals who are setting new standards of best practices in meeting business workforce needs.
The panel was moderated by Tim Bubb, Licking County Commissioner and panelists included Matt Falter, OBRN Project Director, Lisa Patt-McDaniel, Executive Director, Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio and Joe Patton, Executive Director of the Allen County Department of Job and Family Services. Matt shared the history of the OBRN, business success stories who’ve interacted and worked with OBRN staff on solving the challenges and opportunities they face every day related to workforce and economic development, as well as the vision and ongoing work around a tristate business resource network with West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The other panelists shared strategies they are undertaking for finding skilled workers from often overlooked sources and how they are focusing their efforts to brand the OhioMeansJobs centers in their regions as business-led and business-focused, tailoring the local job centers resources and services to local business needs.
