All across Ohio, employers are having trouble filling positions essential to our economy. While Ohio is second among the states in job creation, more than 150,000 good jobs have gone unfilled because too few people in the state have the necessary knowledge and skills for those careers. To address this challenge, Ohio has set a goal that 65 percent of Ohioans age 25 to 64 will have a postsecondary degree, certificate or other credential by 2025.
While Ohio’s widely respected colleges and universities are meeting the higher-education needs of millions of Ohioans, this goal cannot be reached by focusing on traditional-age high-school graduates alone. We must expand our thinking to view education as a continuum over time, which requires a broad array of opportunities for a diverse citizenry with diverse educational needs.
