Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted this week unveiled the Ohio Career Navigator, a tool that is integrated into its free online career counseling center OhioMeansJobs.com. It provides users with a unified method to explore a wide array of training and career-planning services offered by state agencies.
“Ohio offers resources for those on their career or education journey, and it may be difficult for them to navigate if they don’t know where to start,” Husted said in an announcement Tuesday. “Through Career Navigator, accessing the information you need is more personalized and centrally located so you can determine the best pathway for you.”
The next step after Career Navigator’s launch, Husted said, is for officials to use feedback on its performance to further improve the technology.
When first accessing the Career Navigator system, users provide job-specific background information via a survey, and the system tailors content to suit their needs. From there, job seekers have a plethora of comprehensive and relevant information from state and external sources on career options and the skills required. Users can find and apply for job openings, take skill and career interest assessments, create or improve resumes, and practice interviewing.
Ohio is one of many states currently experiencing a “severe” worker shortage, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, which found it has “62 available workers for every 100 open jobs.” In January 2023, the Ohio governor’s office reported: “Ohio had just over 240,000 Ohioans unemployed who could be reskilled for new opportunities to fill critical workforce needs.”
In addition to supporting new technology, the state has taken legislative action to lessen these numbers. One of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's first actions after being sworn into office for his second term last year was to sign Executive Order 2023-05D. It was a directive to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Higher Education partners, Job and Family Services, and the Office of Workforce Transformation to do a thorough review of all statewide workforce resources. The agencies were required to conduct an asset mapping analysis of current programs at Ohio’s institutions of higher education and technical centers, including availability and capacity; analyze their findings; and present recommendations on how to increase opportunities for Ohioans to pursue credentials that would assist them in landing jobs.
In the recent Career Navigator announcement, Matt Damschroder, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said tools like the Ohio Career Navigator are important to help connect people with available jobs.
“Ohio’s diverse economy means there are career opportunities to match anyone’s skills and interests,” Damschroder said. “The Career Navigator is the newest among a wide variety of resources available.”
