Community colleges are essential to workforce and economic development ecosystems, and our speed to market strategies facilitate talent recruitment and development, workforce retention and upskilling. Our institutions are well-known in our regions as problem-solvers for employers, but how do we connect effectively with our businesses that are owned by international corporations?
In Ohio, more than 430 businesses are Japanese-owned, with Japan by far the largest foreign investor in Ohio. Honda America, with five plants located in the state, employs more than 15,000 team members, and this work supports a vast network of suppliers across the state. Japanese investment in supply chains, logistics, advanced manufacturing and skilled trades in Ohio is serious business, and relationship-building with these companies is built at the international, federal, state and local levels. Clark State College has played a part in these bilateral discussions and recruitment visits.
Connecting abroad
In September 2023 and again this month, I traveled to Japan for two purposes: one, to meet with Japanese-owned businesses in our region to discuss their needs, concerns, strategies and future plans as part of a delegation of economic developers and elected officials, and two, to attend the Midwest U.S. Japan Association Conference that is held every other year in Japan and in alternate years in a U.S. midwestern state. Columbus, Ohio, hosted in September 2024. Indianapolis, Indiana, will host in 2026.
The Midwest U.S. Japan Association just celebrated 55 years of bilateral cooperation and collaboration between the businesses and elected officials in ten midwestern states and their sister Japanese prefectures.
Ohio’s delegation to the conference included approximately 60 elected officials, economic development leaders, site selectors and one college president — me. One of my roles during this trip was to meet with businesses along with the regional and state economic development officials and gauge the needs of the companies as well as lift up how Clark State College supports them with training in advanced manufacturing, engineering, modeling and simulation, cybersecurity, and logistics and supply chain technology.
Panel discussion
My other role was to facilitate a panel on “Pathways to Sustainability” on the first day of the conference. The panel featured executives from five companies — Lindsay Corporation, Constellation Energy, SMBC, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and NEXCO-West USA. I asked many questions, but found the responses to the following really mirrored the discussions I had at the companies I visited, such as Yamada, AGC and Ahresty:
Please share an innovation from your company that would not be possible without the unique partnerships represented by the bilateral relationship between Japan and the Midwest?
The theme of this panel is “Pathway to a Sustainable Future.” What factors are imperative to ensure a “smoother” pathway and what are some of the barriers that must be overcome to ensure a “sustainable” pathway?
The following common themes emerged from the visits and the panel:
- Integration of AI into business processes, especially quality assurance
- Workforce stability, retention of employees and competition from surrounding businesses
- Investment in facilities and training with an uncertain economic outlook
- Quality of life issues for employees in the U.S., such as affordable housing and transportation
- Need for increased automation in order to meet demand and offset workforce shortages
Economic and workforce development are team efforts, and I was glad to be joined by those who could offer additional guidance and solutions, particularly in regards TechCred funding in Ohio, by which the employer is reimbursed directly for training, and the newly announced JobsOhio Relocation Incentive, which provides $15,000 to a company for each qualifying out-of-state — or out-of-the-country, worker recruited, with a cap of $225,000 per company. Additionally, I had the opportunity to tout Workforce Pell as a strategy to address short-term training goals and assist in workforce recruitment and upskilling.
A better understanding
The site visits, as in 2023, to our Japanese headquarters have been enlightening and fascinating and have given me a much better perspective on how to work with all of our business partners in the region. Each company we visited appreciated the insight and “boots on the ground” discussions, as the Japanese executives of the companies do not travel to our Ohio facilities often.
The panel provided further confirmation that, as community college leaders, elected officials, economic development professionals and company executives know, that talent acquisition and retention is among the most pressing concerns, particularly with impending retirements. The good news is that community colleges are here to meet those needs and fill those gaps, and that message certainly translated well to our Japanese friends.
