Gov. DeWine spends $13.5 million on public transit to help Ohioans get jobs
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Pamela Boratyn announced on Nov. 14 a $13.5 million investment for 28 public transit projects.
The millions of dollars would be offered via the Ohio Workforce Mobility Partnership program (OWMP).
“Transportation should never stand in the way of a good job,” DeWine said in the press release. “This investment will help more Ohioans get to work and support employers who need reliable, skilled workers.”
Lt. Governor Jim Tressel also said that the current state administration keeps “seeing great companies moving into Ohio or growing in Ohio,” adding that the “number of job opportunities coming our way is exciting.”
“Now we need to do our part, as a State, to empower our people to take advantage of these opportunities and become a part of our workforce team. By removing barriers to transportation for workers, that’s exactly what this program will do,” Tressel said.
According to the press release, the program that was reestablished in House Bill 54 directs federal funding through the state transportation budget to projects that help people use public transportation for work by “connecting residents to economically significant employment centers,” bridging “service gaps between rural and urban transit authorities” and enhancing “mobility for residents in areas with limited or no public transit access.”
“The Workforce Mobility Program is a great tool that helps ODOT deliver on its mission to ensure every Ohioan has access to transportation opportunities, regardless of whether they own a vehicle,” Boratyn said.
Fifteen transit agencies across 16 counties are receiving funding through this effort.
Other Ohio politicians also tried to help the Buckeye State’s residents with their struggles to find jobs and the high unemployment rates.
On Nov. 14, U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, met with students and educators from the Miami Valley Career Technology Center (CTC).
The Miami Valley CTC serves 27 area high schools and offers more than 50 career-tech programs for high school juniors and seniors, as well as lifelong learning opportunities through adult education programs, according to the press release.
“Career tech schools like Miami Valley CTC prepare Ohio’s workforce to earn well-paying salaries and fill in-demand jobs in our state,” Husted said.
He also talked about how one of his bills would help students and how one of the laws he previously supported would make career-tech programs more affordable.
“My FEED Act corrects outdated rules so students enrolled in SNAP can continue their education without jeopardizing their families’ benefits,” Husted said. “I also supported the budget law to make career tech programs more affordable by expanding access to Pell Grants so that students can have job security and higher earning power.”
