Rep. McNally Announces $460,569 to Support Youngstown State University
COLUMBUS – State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) announced that the State Controlling Board approved $460,569 in support for Youngstown State University from the Ohio Department of Education’s (ODE) Workforce Based Training and Equipment line item. The funding is meant for the education and skill training of students and/or incumbent workers in meeting the current and future talent needs of growing, emerging and high demand industries through investment in capital equipment and facilities.
“YSU is an anchor institution that is committed to giving our region options for growth in manufacturing, which is so important to us all,” said Rep. McNally. “Continued investment from the state is needed to help the people living here succeed and be a part of that growth.”
The funding released on March 20, 2023 is part of the ODE’s Regionally Aligned Priorities in Delivering Skills (RAPIDS) program. The goals of the program are to retain and expand existing businesses, attract new enterprises and further entrepreneurship. The proposed equipment purchase by YSU will directly impact the capacity and capability of the institution in serving students and regional businesses and will be used for manufacturing education, training and up-skilling current and future workers of Ohio and developing a talent pipeline that addresses the skill and workforce needs of Ohio’s growing and high-demand businesses and industries.
“People need jobs. They also need jobs that can become careers and ways to take care of their families,” said Rep. McNally. “This investment, and these efforts, by YSU are how we create access and bring tools to people, allowing them to provide for those that matter most in their lives.”
The Ohio Controlling Board Request states that YSU along with a group of regional stakeholders have been working together to propose a truly innovative strategy for manufacturing education. This strategy involves the breaking down of institutional barriers to collaboration, the development of a coordinated strategy for this in-demand education, and the sharing of resources, including equipment, to maximize impacts while minimizing costs. This proposed request under the RAPIDS program will support that effort and illustrates the potential value of this unique strategy in terms of both workforce outcomes and responsible use of public resources.