By: Jeff Schaaf, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce
The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Lucas County, has signed a contract with Avalanche Consulting and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) to conduct a Talent Alignment Study.
The research will analyze the availability of talent and 21st Century skills in the Toledo Region. The goal of this study is to develop data-based strategies that will ensure education and workforce efforts are aligned with the local economy.
Multiple partners have signed on to support this strategic initiative including Bowling Green State University, Fulton County Economic Development, the Toledo Community Foundation, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, the University of Toledo and Wood County Economic Development.
The bulk of the research and data collection will take place between July and September 2018. Initial data findings will be presented in late fall, and the final strategic recommendations are scheduled to be announced in February 2019.
The research will analyze the availability of talent and 21st Century skills in the Toledo Region. The goal of this study is to develop data-based strategies that will ensure education and workforce efforts are aligned with the local economy.
Multiple partners have signed on to support this strategic initiative including Bowling Green State University, Fulton County Economic Development, the Toledo Community Foundation, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, the University of Toledo and Wood County Economic Development.
The bulk of the research and data collection will take place between July and September 2018. Initial data findings will be presented in late fall, and the final strategic recommendations are scheduled to be announced in February 2019.
A Steering Committee was established and encompasses a diverse range of organizations and employers from across the community (approximately 30-35 members). The consulting team work closely with the Steering Committee members for guidance, candid insight about our community’s education and workforce strengths and challenges, and feedback on strategic recommendations before they are finalized.
Similar talent initiatives in other markets, including Charleston and Tulsa, have resulted in:
Similar talent initiatives in other markets, including Charleston and Tulsa, have resulted in:
- Increased collaboration across education, workforce, industry and economic development partners
- Common data sets and clearer understanding of the current labor market and workforce development systems in their regions
- Ability to benchmark strategic progress publicly overtime
- Coordination of philanthropic funding requests
 | Jeff Schaaf As Talent Attraction Manager at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, Jeff’s primary responsibilities involve creating and managing tools, such as Summer in the City and ToledoRegion.com, that can be leveraged by Chamber members to attract diverse, talented people to the Toledo Region. Jeff currently sits on the Toledo Advisory Board of the Ohio Diversity Council and the Board of Trustees for St. Francis de Sales School. Prior to joining TRCC, Jeff worked as a Project Operations Specialist for Maritz Research, a customer experience research firm, and as a Program Manager for American Identity, a promotional products distributor. |
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