Greater Cleveland Partnership and Team NEO discuss IT workforce needs

Thanks for listening to The Sound of Ideas on WKSU.  Below is a description of the topics for today’s show.

As technology and its usage evolves, information technology or IT becomes a bigger part of jobs and industries.  IT represents a wide range of occupations and cuts across all industry sectors.  As Forbes magazine put it recently: all companies are technology companies. The Greater Cleveland Partnership and Team NEO recently took a deep look at the state of information technology employment in Northeast Ohio as a key sector of the regional economy. The organizations looked at the current talent pool as well as the current and future demand for I-T workers. 

The reports come as Ohio has been the focus of recent high-tech investments.  Intel will invest billions in the Columbus area as it builds new semi-conductor chip production factories.  And last week, Ford announced it plans to produce a new electric-vehicle and expand the Ohio Assembly Plant in Lorain County. The reports also come as the region's economy and workforce recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the various measures taken that have reshaped the very nature of work.

Republicans in the Ohio House this week passed a resolution that urges the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to add Canada to a religious freedom watch list.  At issue for lawmakers supporting the bill: the treatment of religious leaders during pandemic lockdowns and what State Representative Tim Ginter—a Republican from Salem-- said was a persistent pattern of religious rights violations by Canada.  The resolution passed along party lines and all Democrats opposed it.

The resolution is getting a lot of attention---after being picked up by the news aggregation and discussion site: Reddit.  

Summer is upon us, which means all kinds of arts and cultural happenings are ramping up. After two years of pandemic cancellations and hybrid adaptations, many traditional events and festivals return this season. And there are new things to get excited about too. And with gas prices in some neighborhoods topping 5-dollars a gallon, you may be looking for something a little closer to home to enjoy the summer weather. We have a preview of what's ahead for the summer arts scene and hope to help you learn about different ways you can enjoy all the region has to offer.

Baiju Shah, President & CEO, Greater Cleveland Partnership 
Jacob Duritsky, Vice President,  Strategy & Research, Team NEO 
Jo Ingles, Statehouse News Bureau Correspondent, Ohio Public Radio/TV 
Carrie Wise, Managing Producer for Arts, Ideastream Public Media