YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University will lead four northeast Ohio institutions to serve as a regional hub for broadband strategy in the state.

The U.S. Department of Labor has set aside millions of dollars to establish these hubs.

For the Northeast-Team NEO JobsOhio Region, these are YSU, Cuyahoga Community College, the Cleveland / Cuyahoga County Workforce Development Board and Community Action Akron / Summit.

“… We look forward to growing 5G and broadband training and access to these high-demand jobs across our 18-county region,” Lindsey Ekstrand, director of YSU’s IT Workforce Accelerator, said.

“Our collective goal is to promote and provide technical training and career readiness for individuals to thrive in fast-growing occupations like cell tower, fiber optics and broadband technicians, 5G engineers and support roles like sales and customer service,” Ekstrand said.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who serves as director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, on Monday announced the six regional hubs across Ohio that will help expand the efforts of Ohio’s Broadband and 5G Sector Partnership locally.

“In today’s economy and workforce, all Ohioans need access to high-speed internet,” Husted said. “Establishing these regional hubs will regionalize the work of our statewide Broadband and 5G Sector Partnership, empowering local communities to help build the broadband and 5G workforce Ohio needs.”

In January, Husted announced $9 million in Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy and Training, or QUEST, funding from the U.S. Department of Labor to establish these regional hubs, also known as nodes, to support the implementation of Ohio’s Broadband and 5G Workforce Strategy at the regional level.

As part of the implementation of Ohio’s Broadband and 5G Workforce Strategy, the regional hubs will be placed across JobsOhio’s six-region map and will provide resources to local communities so they can create the talent pipeline needed for local businesses.

The state’s broadband strategy addresses three key issues:

• Increasing broadband industry career awareness by exposing middle school and high school students to the industry through curriculum and internships;

• Developing and supporting more education and training programs for Ohioans;

• Capitalizing on state and federal funding programs, such as TechCred and the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, to help finance the education and training that will bring to market the talent supply needed for the broadband and 5G industry in Ohio.

“With these regional partners in place, we’ll be better able to raise awareness of in-demand broadband careers, establish more local training programs in broadband occupations and maximize state and federal funding to help pay for this training,” Matt Damschroder, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said. JFS is administering the grant.

“Raising awareness and creating on ramps to careers in broadband and 5G at the local level is the best way to build a workforce capable of meeting Ohio and the nation’s broadband deployment needs,” Wireless Infrastructure Association Executive Vice President Tim House said. “By establishing these regional nodes, Ohio continues to expand access to good jobs across the state and demonstrate what an effective sector-based partnership for broadband workforce development looks like.”

The other hubs in Ohio are:

• Central — One Columbus JobsOhio Region: The Ohio State University, Columbus State Community College, Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio, IMPACT Community Action;?

• Southeast — Ohio Southeast JobsOhio Region: Ohio University, Hocking College, Area 14 Workforce Development Board, Community Action Organization of Scioto County Inc.;??

• Northwest — Regional Growth Partnership JobsOhio Region: University of Findlay, Terra State Community College, Greater Ohio Workforce Board, Inc., Great Lakes Community Action Partnership;?

• West — Dayton Development Coalition JobsOhio Region: University of Dayton, Sinclair Community College, Greater Ohio Workforce Board Inc., Miami Valley Community Action Partnership;

• Southwest — REDI Cincinnati JobsOhio Region: Miami University, Cincinnati State Technical & Community College, Workforce Council of Southwest Ohio, Community Action Agency Cincinnati-Hamilton County.

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