The Problem
Ohio has over 200,000 unfilled jobs — and most of them don't require a four-year college degree. They require skills training, certifications, and real apprenticeship opportunities that connect workers directly to employers who need them. The problem isn't a lack of willing workers. The problem is a broken pipeline between education, training, and the job market.
Franklin County's unemployment rate looks modest on paper, but underemployment and wage stagnation tell a different story. Workers are stuck in jobs that don't pay enough and don't lead anywhere — not because they lack ambition, but because the system hasn't invested in creating real pathways for them. Meanwhile, displaced workers — from manufacturing, retail, or other contracting industries — have few retraining options that are affordable and fast enough to be practical.
Stacie's Plan
- Tax incentives for companies that partner with state colleges and trade unions — including the Ohio AFL-CIO and Ohio Building Trades — to create apprenticeship programs and well-paying jobs
- Fund structured apprenticeship pipelines in skilled trades, construction, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing so workers earn while they learn
- Create formal partnerships between Ohio community colleges and local employers to develop curriculum that matches actual hiring needs — not theoretical ones
- Build high school-to-career pathways that give graduates a clear road to a good-paying job without requiring a four-year degree
- Support Ohio workers through the Ohio AFL-CIO and Ohio Building Trades — the labor partners who are already training the next generation of skilled workers
- Invest in workforce retraining for displaced workers — fast, affordable, and tied to real job placement outcomes
Built on Real Partnerships
Stacie Baker has spent 15 years in Franklin County government, working alongside the Ohio AFL-CIO, Ohio Building Trades, employers, and educators to build real programs for real workers. He knows the difference between a workforce initiative that creates careers and one that creates press releases.
His approach is straightforward: give companies a tax incentive to partner with unions and colleges, build the apprenticeship pipeline, and let Ohioans earn their way into the middle class. That is how you fill 200,000 open jobs — and how you make sure those jobs pay well and lead somewhere.
