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April 17, 2025




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Lt. Governor Tressel Continues to Advance Workforce Conversation with Rio Grande Roundtable
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Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel brought together business, education, and community leaders from southeast Ohio for a roundtable discussion on the region’s workforce strengths and its needs.

(RIO GRANDE, Ohio)—Today, Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel brought together business, education, and community leaders from southeast Ohio for a roundtable discussion on the region’s workforce strengths and its needs.

Held at the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College, the roundtable marked the latest stop in the Lt. Governor’s ongoing series of community conversations to inform the development of Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.

“As we continue to travel across Ohio, it is inspiring to see firsthand the incredible work being done to train and grow our workforce at places like the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College and beyond,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “This is an exciting moment in our state’s history. So many businesses and opportunities are moving into or expanding in Ohio. We need to make the most of this moment.”

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Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel brought together business, education, and community leaders from southeast Ohio for a roundtable discussion on the region’s workforce strengths and its needs.

Under the leadership of Governor Mike DeWine, the state has attracted a variety of economic development projects in recent years, which are bringing tens of thousands of new jobs to Ohio. To ensure the state’s workforce is trained and ready to fill these jobs, Governor DeWine announced in his recent State of the State Address [ [link removed] ] that Lt. Governor Tressel would lead the administration’s effort to create Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.

By examining the needs and circumstances of Ohio’s various regions, Ohio’s Workforce Playbook will develop a plan to retain existing talent, recruit new talent to Ohio, and rally Ohio’s existing workforce to greater productivity.

“That’s why we’re traveling around the state and holding roundtables and community conversations,” Lt. Governor Tressel continued. “We need to make sure we’re working together as a business and education community – aligning all of our efforts to not only prepare Ohioans for these amazing jobs, but to inspire them to stay and build their futures right here in Ohio.”

During today's roundtable, representatives from the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College and major employers discussed workforce needs and strategies for strengthening Ohio’s talent pipeline.

Following the roundtable, Lt. Governor Tressel joined Rio President Ryan Smith for a tour of Davis Career Center.

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Following the roundtable, Lt. Governor Tressel joined Rio President Ryan Smith for a tour of Davis Career Center.

The center, which helps students train for in-demand careers in fields like healthcare and advanced manufacturing, has received state support through several rounds of RAPIDS and Super RAPIDS grants. These grants support universities, community colleges, and career technical centers in purchasing state-of-the-art equipment for students to use in education and training programs tailored to regional workforce needs.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to highlight the programs that have benefited from critical funding for equipment and resources. Investing in education is an investment in the workforce of tomorrow,” said President Smith. “Rio is uniquely positioned to produce job-ready graduates across a broad spectrum – from 30-hour employability certificates to master's degrees. Thank you to Lt. Governor Tressel and his team for choosing to learn more about our unique institution.”

These funds have allowed the center to purchase state-of-the-art healthcare equipment like an EKG machine and radiology equipment.

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RAPIDS and Super RAPIDS grant funds have allowed the center to purchase state-of-the-art healthcare equipment like an EKG machine and radiology equipment.

For students in advanced manufacturing, the grants have allowed the center to acquire a virtual welding simulator, as well as robotics systems, pneumatics tools, and other types of mechanical training equipment.

The University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College also recently received two Talent Ready Grants to support short-term credential and certificate programs in fields like healthcare, computer science, and other industries.

Lt. Governor Tressel’s visit to Rio marked his third regional workforce roundtable. Previous events have been held at Cleveland State University [ [link removed] ] and Wright State University [ [link removed] ].

Similar community discussions will continue to take place across the state to help inform the development of Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.

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