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May 29, 2025




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Lt. Governor Tressel Continues Discussion on Workforce with Visit to University of Akron
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Lt. Governor Jim Tressel today brought together business, education, and community leaders from the Greater Akron area for a roundtable discussion on the region’s workforce strengths and its needs.

(AKRON, Ohio)—Lt. Governor Jim Tressel today brought together business, education, and community leaders from the Greater Akron area for a roundtable discussion on the region’s workforce strengths and its needs.

Held at the University of Akron (UA), the roundtable marked the latest stop in the Lt. Governor’s ongoing series of community conversations to inform the development of Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.

“As we travel the state, we continue to see the communities that have strong partnerships between education and business, like we see here in Akron, are best positioned for the incredible opportunities we have coming our way in Ohio. They are preparing their students to thrive in the jobs of tomorrow, while also addressing local industry needs,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “As someone who earned my master’s degree at the University of Akron and also worked here for many years, I’ve seen firsthand how the UA connects education to real-world experiences that students can take with them for life. As we shape Ohio’s Workforce Playbook, we want to continue to build on these kinds of local partnerships all across the state.”

*MEDIA DOWNLOAD: Lt. Gov. Tressel Video Soundbites* [ [link removed] ]

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Lt. Governor Jim Tressel today brought together business, education, and community leaders from the Greater Akron area for a roundtable discussion on the region’s workforce strengths and its needs.

Thanks to the state’s targeted work to attract economic development projects into local communities, Ohio has added more than 81,000 private sector jobs in the past six years. Further, at least 15,000 additional jobs are coming to Ohio through projects that are currently in development.

Governor Mike DeWine recently announced that Lt. Governor Tressel would lead the administration’s effort to ensure the state’s workforce is prepared to fill these jobs by creating Ohio's Workforce Playbook [ [link removed] ]. By examining the needs and circumstances of Ohio’s various regions, the playbook will establish a plan to retain existing talent, recruit new talent to Ohio, and rally Ohio’s existing workforce to greater productivity.

During today's roundtable, representatives from UA and major employers discussed workforce needs in northeast Ohio and strategies for strengthening Ohio’s talent pipeline.

“The University of Akron is proud to serve as an intellectual center of our community and strongly supports its workforce development. We are grateful for Lt. Governor Tressel's commitment to our regional workforce and join him in his passion to create a more robust Ohio through traditional education, professional development, and skills training,” said University of Akron President R.J. Nemer. “Lt. Governor Tressel is a former UA colleague and graduate school alumnus, and we are thankful he took the time to lead a collaborative and vibrant discussion about UA’s contributions to the region and beyond.”

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Lt. Governor Jim Tressel joined University of Akron President R.J. Nemer and other university leaders for the roundtable discussion and a tour of UA's Timken Foundation Center for Precision Manufacturing.

Following the roundtable, Lt. Governor Tressel joined President Nemer, Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Mike Duffey, and other university officials for a tour of the Timken Foundation Center for Precision Manufacturing [ [link removed] ] (CPM).

The CPM is an Industry and University Cooperative Research Center, meaning they work directly alongside local industry leaders to identify and address the unique research and workforce development needs of the area, while at the same time providing their students with the training they need to thrive in high-demand fields.

Over the past decade, UA has received over $1.1 million in state support for its training programs through several rounds of RAPIDS and Super RAPIDS grants – which help universities, community colleges, and career technical centers purchase state-of-the-art equipment tailored to regional workforce needs.

At UA, these grants have been used to purchase equipment for students preparing for careers in high-demand fields like advanced manufacturing and more.

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Lt. Governor Tressel also joined university officials for a tour of the Timken Foundation Center for Precision Manufacturing.

Lt. Governor Tressel’s visit to UA marks another stop in his ongoing series of regional workforce discussions across the state. Previous events have been held at:


* Cleveland State University [ [link removed] ]
* Wright State University [ [link removed] ]
* University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College [ [link removed] ]
* Stewart Glapat in Zanesville [ [link removed] ]
* North Central State College’s Kehoe Center [ [link removed] ]
* Youngstown State University [ [link removed] ]
* Columbus State Community College [ [link removed] ]
* Sinclair Community College [ [link removed] ]
* Cincinnati State Technical and Community College [ [link removed] ]
* Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center [ [link removed] ]
* Lorain County Community College [ [link removed] ]
* Medina County Career Center [ [link removed] ]

Similar community discussions will continue to take place to help inform the development of Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.

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Lt. Governor Jim Tressel joined University of Akron President R.J. Nemer and other university leaders for the roundtable discussion and a tour of UA's Timken Foundation Center for Precision Manufacturing.

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