Raise the Bar Hancock County has received a second grant from Ohio’s Office of Workforce Transformation.

Raise the Bar Executive Director Tricia Valesek says they are one of only 13 partnerships in Ohio receiving these competitive grant funds.

She says they’re still generating positive outcomes from their first grant award from the state, and they’re really excited about the additional programming this second grant will allow them to do.

You can get more details on the grant in the following news release from Raise the Bar, and there’s also some audio from our conversation with Tricia about the grant.

For the second year in a row, Raise the Bar Hancock County (Raise the Bar) is among a limited number of recipients statewide receiving grant funds from the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation and the Ohio Development Services Agency.

Through the Industry Sector Partnership Grant, Ohio aims to accelerate essential workforce development strategies that benefit youth, adults, and employers.

Grant funding will enable Raise the Bar to better connect businesses and education in strategies that get individuals trained with the right skills by the most qualified training providers. Funds will also allow Raise the Bar to support current and future employees with attaining in-demand industry-recognized credentials as well as learn about the manufacturing industry and its occupations.

“Hancock County’s collaborative approach to workforce development shines regionally and statewide. We succeed on countless efforts because local businesses, education providers, policymakers, and social services consistently work together to co-create solutions,” said Tricia Valasek, Raise the Bar’s Executive Director.

“We want our area talent to thrive professionally, and this funding will be an instrumental piece in helping us accomplish this goal.”

Availability of this state funding will allow Raise the Bar to simultaneously reach educators, parents, employers, job seekers, and students.

Funds will support new efforts including summer externships for high school teachers and structured on-the-job training for apprenticeships. Monies will also bolster ongoing initiatives including Leader in Me(R) and industry credentialing.

Valasek added, “Hancock County was primed to receive this grant. We are still generating positive outcomes from the first grant award, which has allowed us to build our internal capacity, support a Career Assessment Specialist for high school seniors, extend the Leader in Me(R) to Liberty-Benton Local Schools, launch a new leadership series for entry-level managers, and support industry exposure events like Manufacturing Day for 8th graders and Lit Man for 3rd graders. We are eager to build upon these successes and further impact the local economy and workforce.”

Ohio’s Industry Sector Partnership Grant strives to help bring Ohioans into the workforce pipeline while meeting the needs of job creators and the local economy.

This second year of the competitive grant program provided $2.58 million to 13 partnerships focused on in-demand industry sectors, including information technology, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and aerospace.

Raise the Bar facilitates a cradle-to-career economic growth strategy that will produce a pipeline of employees capable of filling Hancock County’s workforce needs, today and into the future.

To learn more about Raise the Bar and its programming, visit www.raisethebarhancock.org.