Greater Springfield Partnership is the first Ohio organization to tap the K-12 talent pipeline tool, YouScience® Employer Spotlight, helping local businesses find emerging talent
Amid national talent shortages and companies of all sizes reporting increasing difficulty finding skilled workers, the Greater Springfield Partnership is leading the charge to build a sustainable talent pipeline and efficient recruiting ecosystem for its local businesses, community, and schools. The organization is implementing YouScience® Employer Spotlight, an innovative talent pipeline solution, to connect the skills businesses need with early career opportunities for local students.
“We’re excited to be one of the first organizations to pilot Employer Spotlight as a proactive solution to the talent shortage,” said Horton Hobbs IV, Vice President, Economic Development, Greater Springfield Partnership. “This is an enormous opportunity to strengthen our local community and ensure economic prosperity for years to come.”
Through the pilot program, local businesses can sign up and present their information to students that match the aptitudes the organization is looking for. Businesses can share career opportunities, including work-based learning programs, internships, apprenticeships, and entry-level job openings. Surrounding area schools also have access to YouScience® Aptitude & Career Discovery, where students can take an award-winning, scientifically-backed, aptitude assessment to discover their natural talents, interests, and get best-fit career opportunities personalized to their results. Students can then explore local businesses where their aptitudes align with required skills.
“This program is opening doors for our students. They’re learning that they have aptitudes for careers they may have never considered before,” said Robert Hill, Chief Executive Officer and Superintendent of Springfield City School District . “They can apply for internships with these local businesses and gain the skills needed to be hired when they graduate or know what majors to pursue in college.”
Utilizing Employer Spotlight, the Greater Springfield Partnership is:
- Connecting local businesses to students with aptitudes and interests in their industries
- Tapping into a local talent pipeline that is prepared with the skills needed to fill crucial roles
- Creating an effective and efficient recruiting ecosystem for the entire community
- Building more profound relationships with local schools and communities
- Putting career information in contextually relevant places to ensure students with aptitude and interest matches have visibility to opportunities
“Our students have the skills to support our local businesses, and in turn, our businesses have high-demand, competitive job opportunities available to these students,” said Amy Donahoe, Director of Workforce Development, Greater Springfield Partnership. “With this program, we’re making sure these groups are connected. Doing so ensures Springfield and Clark County get ahead of the talent shortage problem—we’re doing something about it.”
The pilot program is available to any business in the greater Springfield area.
YouScience Co-Founder and CEO, Edson Barton, shared how helping Ohio businesses and students connect boosts the state’s economy. “Ohio students have the talent to fill the in-demand jobs local businesses require; they just need to be shown what’s out there. At YouScience, we’re making sure every student has the opportunity for a successful future, and ensuring businesses can access the talent they need to foster growth today—and, for years to come.”
For more information on this program, please reach out to Lindsay Hull at Lindsay Hull lindsay@0to5.com.
About The Greater Springfield Partnership
The Greater Springfield Partnership is a nonprofit, membership-based organization of over 800 businesses and their 15,000+ employees whose mission is to amplify the work of our business community, advance important economic and workforce development opportunities, promote aspirations that will make the region more aggressive, and help member-investors grow through pertinent connections. Our collective success as a partnership is a catalyst for a thriving business community and quality of life in the region now and in the future. Your stake. Your success. Your Greater Springfield Partnership.
About YouScience®
YouScience® is the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers. Its end-to-end platform, YouScience® Brightpath, connects education with career applications designed to help students unlock their potential for future pathways. YouScience leverages proven research, artificial intelligence, and industry input to help individuals identify their natural talents, validate their skills and knowledge, and get matched with real-world educational and career pathways in high-demand occupations. YouScience is the preferred choice of individuals, parents, educators, and counselors to guide and support educational and career pathways, currently serving more than 7,000 educational institutions and nearly one million users.