COLUMBUS, Ohio — The White House announced Tuesday the city of Columbus has been named one of five Workforce Hubs through President Biden’s new initiative aimed at connecting American workers to jobs to meet growing workforce demands.
Each of the five workforce hubs focus on specific industries. The focus of the Columbus region is clean energy, transportation and semiconductor manufacturing. This title comes as Intel continues to move forward into its next phase of construction in Licking County.
Heather Boushey is a member of President Biden’s council of economic advisors and chief economist for his Investing in America Cabinet.
"Columbus has emerged as a center of investment,” Boushey said.
Boushey said Columbus was named today as a Workforce Hub primarily for its partnership with Intel and the Ohio Semiconductor Collaboration Network. It developed a two-year program to train workers in the semiconductor field.
"And this is in fact now a model for other places across the country and that's exactly what these workforce hubs are about,” Boushey said.
The Workforce Hubs are a new way to support filling jobs created through federal funding, which includes legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act. The legislation, signed into law by President Biden last August, will provide a more than $50 billlion boost to the U.S. semiconductor industry.
"Intel wouldn't have happened without the CHIPS Act,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said.
Mayor Ginther said the funding will in part support Intel’s two new facilities, which is expected to bring 20,000 jobs to the state.
The Administration said it will partner with state and local officials, employers, community colleges, and other stakeholders to meet this upcoming demand with a diverse and skilled workforce.
"Really trying to make sure that Columbus State is leading the way for opening doors for Columbus residents, particularly young people that are coming out of Columbus city schools, to take advantage of some of these great opportunities,” Ginther said.
Boushey said the Administration also acknowledged Columbus’ effort to create more diverse registered apprenticeships, which she said is now being replicated in cities across the country.
"So, it [Columbus] was a good place to come and try to develop models and collaborate together to do so,” Boushey said.
"We think it’s a great opportunity for us to give young people in our community incredible chances to make some transformational training opportunities and take advantage of some of these jobs that are being created by Intel, Honda, and so many others here in central Ohio,” Mayor Ginther said.