KENT, Ohio -- Some 40 Ohio employers are traveling to Columbus today to join representatives from Kent State University and alumni. They will take part in the university's annual Kent State Day at the Statehouse, meeting with 21 legislators and other state officials.
Along with employers of Kent State graduates, successful Kent State alumni in the workforce will join the Kent State delegation, which includes Kent State President Lester A. Lefton, members of the board of trustees, deans from Kent State’s eight campuses and students. They will tell their personal experiences with Kent State in preparing students for work. The employers and graduates represent a diverse group of industry sectors in northeast and central Ohio.
The theme of this year's event is “Talent Meets Jobs: A Kent State Education Aligns with Employer Need.”
“We have an impressive group of industry leaders who are making an investment of time and effort to come to the Ohio Statehouse and support higher education by discussing their first-hand experience hiring Kent State graduates,” Lefton said. “Some of these corporate executives are also proud Kent State graduates who will share with legislators how Kent State prepared them for successful careers. In addition, these executives are joining us in Columbus to discuss job creation in Ohio and the importance of college-educated talent for the growth and prosperity of their companies.”
In addition to meeting with legislators, a smaller group of delegates and university officials will have roundtable discussions with senior state officials who are responsible for employment-related policies, including Mark Kvamme, president and interim chief investment officer of JobsOhio, and Rich Frederick, executive director of the new Office of Workforce Transformation.
The companies represented at the Kent State Day includes Abercrombie & Fitch, Allied Machine & Engineering Corp., Allstate Insurance, Cleveland Clinic, Fahlgren Mortine, FirstEnergy Corp., First National Bank, Nationwide Insurance, the North Canton Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Wine Producers Association, Parker Hannifin Corp., Robinson Memorial Hospital, Saint-Gobain, the Sherwin-Williams Co., Soft-Lite, Summa Health System, the Timken Co., Tinker Omega Manufacturing, University Hospitals Health System, Victoria’s Secret, Vocon Inc. and W.S. Tyler.
Iris Harvey, vice president for university relations at Kent State, said Kent State Day at the Statehouse helps advance the mission of Kent State and discuss issues important to higher education. “Legislators deal with issues every day that greatly impact higher education and workforce development,” she noted. “Our elected senators and representatives are very interested in learning directly from employers and graduates about how well Kent State prepares students to meet employer needs.”
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.