After a telecommunications conference held last fall at Ohio University Southern Campus, participants were in agreement that Lawrence County must train its work force to meet the needs of the growing telecom industry.

Wednesday, May 16, 2001

After a telecommunications conference held last fall at Ohio University Southern Campus, participants were in agreement that Lawrence County must train its work force to meet the needs of the growing telecom industry.

Without a tech-savvy work force, our region would continue to be a backwater that could not hope to draw new industries and jobs that are technology based.

The first step needed to develop this work force is now in place. Telephony.Ed Training Center, a cooperative venture between OUSC and the Collins Career Center, is open and accepting students for a course that will train skilled entry-level workers in the telecommunications installation field. Installers are needed by telecommunications giants such as Ameritech, AT&T and Sprint.

As a result of this collaboration to meet the needs of a high-tech industry, the Telephony.Ed Training Center qualified for a $146,000 grant from the Ohio Industrial Training Program administered by the Ohio Department of Development.

Our two local educational facilities should be proud of the success of their fledgling program and the recognition that it already has received from the state.

Our community should get behind this kind of collaboration between OUSC and Collins Career Center. Working together, these two fine institutions will be able to provide the skilled training that local workers will need to compete for high-tech jobs.

This partnership will also serve us well as we encourage new businesses to locate in Lawrence County.