The Solutions Workshops will present successful and innovative policies, programs, and practices from across Ohio and the nation that link economic development and workforce development. A focus of the workshop discussions will be the steps that Ohio can take to advance these initiatives in order to benefit employers, families, and communities throughout the state.

9. Serving Employers and Workers through Workforce Intermediaries Topic: How workforce intermediaries established by public and private funders coordinate resources and strategies across multiple systems to improve business productivity and provide family-supporting employment for low-skilled workers. Workshop discussion will include: the Annie E. Casey, Ford, and Rockefeller Foundations-funded Investing in Workforce Intermediaries Project; Job Ready Pennsylvania, a complete overhaul of the Commonwealth’s workforce development system; and the Bay Area Workforce Funders Collaborative. Panelists:
Presentations: Vito Bob Giloth, Director of Family Economic Success, Annie E. Casey Foundation (Baltimore) Sandy Vito, Deputy Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) Jack Mills, Senior Program Manager for Sector Programs, National Economic Development and Law Center (Oakland, California)
10. High Road Economic Development Topic: State and local government business assistance policies and programs that promote high-wage, worker-friendly, and publicly-accountable economic development. Workshop discussion will include: current Ohio economic development policy issues; promoting high road development in eastern Kentucky and Central Appalachia; and the six-state (Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Jersey, New York) EARN State Economic Policy Collaboration. Panelists:
Presentations: Maxson Amy Hanauer, Executive Director, Policy Matters Ohio (Cleveland) Mike Ettlinger, Economic Analysis and Research Network Director, Economic Policy Institute (Washington, D.C.) Justin Maxson, President, Mountain Association for Economic Development (Berea, Kentucky)
11. Aligning Government Workforce and Economic Development Systems Topic: How states and communities have reorganized agencies, organizations and programs to align and strengthen workforce development and economic development functions. Workshop discussion will include: the role of One-Stops in bridging the needs of workers and employers; Opportunities and Challenges of Government Workforce and Economic and Development Systems; and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development’s Critical Skill Shortage Initiative. Panelists:
Presentations: Troppe Mark Troppe, Director for Economic and Workforce Development, National Center on Education and the Economy (Washington, D.C.) Mike Baker, Manager - Planning Unit, Bureau of Workforce Development, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (Chicago) Jessica Borza, Chief Operating Officer, One Stops, Mahoning and Columbiana Counties (Lisbon, Ohio)
12. Measuring Education and Economic Performance Topic: The use of data in education and economic development policy, including measuring program performance and regional economic health. Workshop discussion will include: Cleveland Federal Reserve 2005 Annual Report summary, Why Innovation and Education are Keys to Economic Growth; the Fund for Our Economic Future Dashboard Indicators for the Northeast Ohio Economy; and Evaluating Workforce Development Practice using State Data Systems, Examples from Ohio. Panelists:
Presentations: Hawley  Kleinhenz Mark Schweitzer, Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (Cleveland) Joshua Hawley, Director, The Ohio State University, College of Education and Human Ecology (Columbus, Ohio) Jack Kleinhenz, CEO, Kleinhenz & Associates (Cleveland)
13. Addressing the Basic Skills and Literacy Challenge Topic: State and employer partnerships to improve the literacy, English language, and basic skills of the adult workforce. Workshop discussion will include: ABLE programs in Ohio; the Indiana 21st Century Workplace Skills Initiative; and Washington Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST). Panelists:
Presentations: Pottmeyer & Mendoza Denise Pottmeyer, State Director, Adult Basic And Literacy Education, Ohio Department of Education (Columbus) Israel Mendoza, Director, Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Programs, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (Olympia, Washington) Andrew Penca, Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development, Indiana Department of Workforce Development (Indianapolis, Indiana)
14. Strategies to Fill the Health Industry Skills Gap Topic: Strategies to address health sector skill shortages, including regional partnerships of business, education, government, and foundations, and healthcare career pathways initiatives. Workshop discussion will include: the Washington State Community College Health Industry Career Pathway; the Greater Cincinnati Health Council Healthcare Workforce Center; and the Collins Career Center Health Industry Adult Education Programs. Panelists:
Presentations: Walsh    Duffey John Walsh, Executive Director of Workforce Development, Washington State Community College (Marietta, Ohio) Mary Duffey, Director, Health Careers Center, Greater Cincinnati Health Council (Cincinnati) Steve Dodgion, Superintendent, Collins Career Center (Chesapeake, Ohio)
15. Pathways to College Credentials for Low-Income Students Topic: Partnerships of community colleges, businesses and supportive service providers to implement career maps that define and support a “pathway” of job and educational advancement for low-income individuals and meet business workforce needs. Workshop discussion will include: the KnowledgeWorks Foundation Career Pathways Initiative; Gateway Community and Technical College Manufacturing Career Pathway and the Kentucky Career Pathways initiative; and the Lorain Community College 3-year MDRC Opening Doors Project to support the success of low-income adults in community college. Panelists:
Presentations: Taylor     Murphy Barbara Endel, Senior Program Officer, Low Wage Workers, KnowledgeWorks Foundation (Cincinnati) Mary Murphy, Outreach Performance Coordinator, Lorain County Community College (Elyria, Ohio) Dr. Angie Taylor, Vice President Business & Industry Services / Provost School of Technical Careers, Kentucky Community and Technical College System (Versailles, Kentucky)
16. Asset Development for Economic Self Sufficiency Topic: Policy options to increase asset and wealth accumulation for low-income families, including savings, retirement accounts, home and business ownership, and education and training. Workshop discussion will include: the United Way of America Assets for Family Success Initiative; the Pennsylvania Department of Banking Office of Financial Education; and CFED’s state Assets and Opportunities Scorecard measures. Panelists:
Presentations: Brooks & Scherler Laura Scherler, Lead Associate, Assets for Family Success, United Way of America (Alexandria, Virginia) Heather Tyler, Communications Director, Pennsylvania Department of Banking (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) Jennifer Brooks, Policy Director, Corporation for Enterprise Development (Washington, D.C.)