Most government subsidized job training programs focus on men and women who have yet to enter the workforce or those who have been laid off from jobs. In Ohio, Gov. John Kasich wants to add a $30 million-a-year program focused on helping workers improve their skills and gain new ones.
Details are yet to be ironed out, but one report is that the state would pay 50 percent of the cost of such vocational training, with workers and / or employers covering the rest.
A training program such as that envisioned by the governor is necessary both to help Buckeye State residents qualify for better jobs in their companies and to keep their firms competitive. A study last year reported 58 percent of Ohio companies say their workers' skills do not meet the firms' needs.
Kasich's idea is an excellent one. It should be implemented as soon as possible.