USA: Skills Initiative in Licking County, Ohio

Der Leiter der Wirtschaftsabteilung der Deutschen Botschaft, Hendrik Barkeling, besuchte Ohio im Rahmen der Skills Initiative. Die Initiative ist ein Programm, das von der Deutschen Botschaft im Jahr 2012 als Reaktion auf den wachsenden Bedarf an Fachkräften in den USA entwickelt wurde.

 

The Skills Initiative Makes a Stop in Licking County, Ohio

 

The Head of the Economic Section at the German Embassy, Hendrik Barkeling, visited Ohio last week on the invitation of Heath Mayor Mark Johns; Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb; Port Authority Executive Director Rick Platt and Grow Licking County Director Dan Evers.

Barkeling visited Ohio as part of the Skills Initiative, a program that was developed by the German Embassy in 2012 in response to the growing need for skilled workers in the United States. Since then, the Ambassador and embassy staff have arranged trilateral meetings between businesses, community colleges and government officials with the goal of setting up skills training programs for American workers.

Barkeling spent two days in Licking County Ohio doing just that. He arrived on Wednesday and spoke with local business leaders about the German dual training program. In Germany, businesses often offer skills training in exchange for full time employment. Students work part time at manufacturing facilities and attend part time vocational schools. This combination of education and employment has been successful in all manufacturing sectors in Germany.

Licking County businesses are considering taking the best practices of the German model and adapting them to fit their needs.  "They're trying to help us," said County Commissioner Tim Bub on Barkeling's visit. "They have a great apprenticeship program, like we used to in this country. In the last few decades, we've sort of de-emphasized manufacturing. Let's make things in this country again."

In addition to meetings with policy makers in Licking County, Barkeling was invited to visit Central Ohio Technical College and C-TEC, Career and Technology Education Centers Licking County. He toured the extensive training facilities, where workers are trained for dozens of companies in the area, including German companies Bayer Material and Hirschvogel. He also took time to visit a few local manufacturing facilities, starting with Owen's Cornering and German automotive supplier Xperion, a new German investment.

In the Licking County community, manufacturing jobs, especially those that provide training, are very desirable. "Everybody needs skilled technicians. Everybody," Kelly Wallace, director of Adult Workforce Education at C-TEC, told the Newark Advocate. "I get ten calls for every one (training program) I produce." If local businesses band together, as they do in Germany, they can share the cost of training their employees and everyone will benefit.

 


Quelle: German Missions in the United States, germany.info, Latest News 24.11.2014