Welcome to the first ON THE MOVE newsletter. I want you utilize this newsletter and our new web site to your competitive advantage.  If you are already located in the Bellevue area this newsletter will inform you of what the BDC is doing to improve the business climate and notify you of business and training and development  opportunities to improve your business operation.  If you are not located in our area and are considering a move or expansion I would be pleased to show you how the Bellevue area would benefit your business.  Furthermore, I hope to make this web site more than just a laundry list who is doing what, where, and why but to give you another outlet to improve your business. The Quick Search reference section featuring “Current Job Opportunities” will give you another avenue to reach potential employees and the “Available Buildings & Sites” will give you the ability to market available land and buildings. This feature will be ready around September 1st.
During May and June I was conducting a workforce development survey with Danny Phillips, Research Consultant, North Central State College Mansfield, Ohio at several area plants.  Phillips was conducting a nine county-wide survey to determine long-range training needs and then present the findings to federal and state agencies in order to obtain grant funding.  
These plants visits revealed many workforce concerns and several interesting ideas on how to resolve them.  Overall, plant managers we visited suggested the BDC to consider building a support system that will help them improve efficiency therefore, profit.  For example, several floated the idea that the BDC should look into becoming a conduit for reducing health costs by starting an industrial insurance co-op.  Others have suggested opening an industrial computer training lab where workers can learn or improve PC proficiency. Plus, plant managers had various concerns particular to their operations but one overwhelming common concern of all surveyed managers was the lack of work ethics shown by younger employees, especially those recently graduating high school.
To address two of these concerns the next “Get Together—Stay Together” roundtables will cover Health & Safety issues and Workforce Ethics.  The Bellevue Hospital will host the Health & Safety roundtable on September 15th, 8-9:30 am.  Details will be announced shortly.  The Workforce Ethics roundtable will feature a discussion with the new Bellevue School System Superintendent, Bud Martin.  You will have the opportunity to tell Bud what type of program should be designed to prepare school kids who are going to work right after high school rather than attend college. The State of Ohio is starting to address this concern through Ohio Revised Code 33133.603 Requirements for high school graduation that will require a financial literacy course as a graduation requirement to be in place by July 2010. However, in talking with plant managers and others in the community a program addressing work choice options and work ethics should ideally be introduced in grade school. Many people believe that once a student gets close to high school graduation work ethics and ethics in general are already formed.  Whatever your feeling is you will get the opportunity to voice it with Bud at the Work Ethics roundtable.