TOLEDO, Ohio —
The Ohio slogan "the heart of it all" can now be applied to manufacturing and innovation in the state, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said at the Rotary Club of Toledo's weekly meeting Monday.
"We brought it back because we are a state that's growing," Husted, a guest speaker at the meeting, said of the tourism slogan. "We have more jobs than people to fill them right now."
In northwest Ohio alone, Husted said there are over 16,000 open positions in all different types of industries. He said Ohio is a place that is depended on for commodities like food, planes and computer chips worldwide and needs people with all different specialties to fill the positions.
To build the state's workforce, Husted said the focus is on retaining younger Ohioans and bringing people with local ties back to Ohio.
One measure is making sure Ohio high school students are set to graduate "career ready" with skills that can be used in jobs right after graduation, he said.
When discussing Toledo specifically, Husted said he wants to create an innovation hub in the city "where all the companies here who rely on glass can learn to make glass lighter, more sustainable with a smaller carbon footprint."
If this can be accomplished, he said it will lead to more jobs, growth and investment in the area.
Husted also touched on First Solar's recent purchase of the former Peloton facility in Wood County, saying it shows the demand for more renewable energy and innovation.
"It'll mean more good jobs," Husted said. "It'll mean a company that has a bright future continuing to deepen its roots in northwest Ohio."