Smart Business Magazine, June 2017

14 Smart Business Akron Canton June 2017 Where the rubber meets the road How your company can help improve Greater Akrons workforce Unemployment hovers at 59 percent in Summit County and 63 percent in the City of Akron So what gives When you see companies looking for people and people looking for jobs and precious few on either side finding what they are looking for you have to ask the question Where is the disconnect Bridging the skills gap Increasingly many in the community are identifying that disconnect as the skills gap which is another way of saying that companies can find people but struggle to find people who have the kinds of skills they need Those on the other side of the skills gap the unemployed people seeking work want to understand what those needed skills are and what they should learn in order to make themselves competitive for the unfilled jobs At GAR Foundation we care about the skills gap because we know that it disrupts the virtuous cycle of quality education leading to good jobs that lead to community prosperity The good news is key players in our community have targeted bridging of the skills gap as their No 1 priority The Akron Public Schools is first among the groups tackling this issue as it pertains to our youth the workforce of tomorrow Over the next few years APS will roll out the College and Career Academies of Akron in all of its high school buildings Because the Academies approach stands to be a game changer in our communitys quest to prepare talent its smart business for all companies in Greater Akron to know about it A distinctive strength The Academies national model implemented successfully in many communities is built around giving students opportunities to pursue their interests and passions connected to the high demand careers in our regions economy Teachers and businesses jointly design curriculum and learning experiences so that students learn the necessary academic theory behind various careers and they practice that theory by solving real life problems in real life settings There are opportunities galore for local companies to step forward and help to shape the Academies such as giving input on needed skills and hosting internships job shadowing for students and teachers and more Supporting the Academies work is not just an altruistic pursuit for a business On the contrary its in your companys enlightened self interest as this work will shape the future workforce that you need in order to grow Learn more at https sites google com apslearns org ccaa home and do your part to make Greater Akrons talent pool a distinctive strength When asked many CEOs will tell you that attracting training and retaining great talent is the biggest challenge they face in growing their business Im guessing this is true for many of you reading this article We know that our companies need talent to grow and drive the economy And yet in the Greater Akron area we also know that many jobs go unfilled Additionally we know that many of our citizens cant land and keep a job CHRISTINE AMER MAYER BUILDING BRIDGES CHRISTINE AMER MAYER President GAR Foundation which awards grants to 501 c 3 nonprofit organizations in Summit and adjacent counties in the areas of education arts and arts education health and social services and civic and nonprofit enhancement 330 576 2911 cmayer@ garfdn org www garfoundation org linkedin com company gar foundation facebook com GARFoundation @ ChristineMayer4