Growing a talent pipeline requires students and teachers to learn more about professions and industries, especially in a rapidly changing and technologically advancing world. Raise the Bar® aims to connect employers with education providers to bring real-world scenarios into more classrooms and to afford more students and educators first-hand experience interacting with the workspaces and employees they may one day join.
Hancock county business advisory council (BAC)
Raise the Bar® and the Hancock County Educational Service Center (ESC) co-lead the Hancock County Business Advisory Council. The Hancock County BAC consists of over 30 educators and industry representatives who co-design the processes and programs for employers and education to connect. Required by the State of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, the Hancock County BAC meets quarterly to
Develop Professional Skills for Future Careers
Build Partnerships
Coordinate Experiences.
Hancock County’s BAC Strategic Plan for 2023-2024
Hancock County’s BAC Strategic Plan for 2022-2023
Education Representatives
Industry Representatives
Hancock County’s Center for Civic Engagement
In partnership with the nine (9) coalitions operating alongside the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE), RTB strives to address barriers to employment and economic advancement including inadequate public transportation, inadequate affordable/workforce housing, wait-listed childcare options, increasing mental health and substance use, and prior convictions. RTB maintains a position on the CCE advisory board and engages in CCE-hosted workgroup meeting to share challenges facing individuals and strategize how to combine efforts to create broader impacts. It is through these routine conversations that RTB, representing its partners, the underemployed, and those seeking employment, builds a safety net of support services to increase employment and economic advancement for those facing barriers and challenges.
Ohio Manufacturers’ Association
RTB is endorsed through The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) Endorsed Industry Sector Partnership (ISP) Network. This endorsement recognizes RTB’s commitment to addressing the workforce development needs within Ohio’s manufacturing sector, aligning with the OMA’s strategic goals. RTB is one of 19 ISPs, now serving 75 of Ohio's 88 counties, endorsed by OMA. RTB collaborates with manufacturers across the region to address shared workforce development issues -- creating a framework of alignment, collaboration, and accountability that strengthens the manufacturing sector statewide.
Center to Advance Manufacturing
The Center to Advance Manufacturing (CAM) exists to be the crucial conduit between industry, higher education, and economic development. As an innovation hub, CAM facilitates partnerships that allow manufacturers to tackle their largest obstacles. They do this work through the support of signatory educational partners, who bring unparalleled access to training, research, data collection and analysis. RTB collaborates with CAM to specifically impact manufacturers in Hancock County.
Hancock County Health and Human Services Workgroup
Under the leadership of the Hancock County Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board and the Family and Children First Council (FCFC), the Health and Human Services Workgroup consists of industry representatives concerned about Hancock County’s human services current and future workforce. Overarching goals of the collaborative include (1) assisting human service agencies with recruiting and retaining employees and (2) meeting the workforce needs of the community. RTB serves on this workgroup and continues to financially sponsor initiatives that impact workforce development and outcomes.
Northwest Ohio Node for Broadband/5G Workforce
The “Strengthening Ohio’s Broadband & 5G Workforce” Strategy was established in September 2021 to ensure that Ohio has a skilled and prepared workforce in this sector. The Strategy includes regional nodes, with Northwest Ohio’s being a partnership of the University of Findlay, Terra Community College, and RTB. Together, the Northwest Ohio Node is working to increase awareness of 5G/Broadband careers and recruit individuals to 5G construction training programs. One example of forward progress by the Northwest Ohio Node is for Millstream Career Center, in partnership with the University of Findlay, to launch a new program for 5G/broadband to meet the growing demand for high-speed internet.