[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6661771,"mediaKeyId","2405895-7096176f88070e047e30031fcb0068e1","parentId",2405895,"title","Chambers pitch internships, TechCred and targeted programs to upskill workers and support diverse businesses","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",2987000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2405895-7096176f88070e047e30031fcb0068e1&start=2987&end=2987","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2405895-7096176f88070e047e30031fcb0068e1/thumbnail_2987000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6661771/Ohio/Chambers-pitch-internships-TechCred-and-targeted-programs-to-upskill-workers-and-support-diverse-businesses","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661771-a54f76c218d9d2b456a99429acc63382/orig.mp4?Expires=1770930110&Signature=bVBBu3fkM6aJS4ByYDTBBPCV~W8Vt61jzqFXVBWo1ZgyKe2t~xCDRh2qKQE9mNGchSAglLcy2onAJ~QTQLd9GMlIwSQJFTMwn9MayG7GdkcKlsZJ-D1H0uWUJvkOHnC8kG6gLg4wl3Mm3aDTtZUSkrSIouqK7j4ZnziTZ3O4s9SVGOk8qvkiSYayYyG6goSYy3TXPOoeuPhpSC3te1mQKnKx5zI8PRGaeIT4MGEpqSLrVNk42st70giaqDxEmlMFiIagvt~~lwOT0drUMivwvMQ4ZLxNpEM4I7~aZ-qGoDH2xbG~YTnhZdy4C6vdtcWVqVSBBm8Z0OjDfSTJ1nqGIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Columbus","date","2025-02-26T21:09:10.01Z","article","The Columbus Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce highlighted specific programs and partnerships aimed at building workforce capacity and supporting diverse and small businesses in Central Ohio.

Steve Stivers, president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, described TechCred, a state program that pays for employer-sponsored upskilling in tech-related credentials, and a private partnership the Ohio Chamber has promoted called FlashPass. \"TechCred will upskill your employees, and the state will pay for it,\" Stivers said, adding that the Ohio Chamber had about 65 companies enroll in a FlashPass pilot in its early months.

Derek Clay said the Columbus Chamber runs programs to connect employers with talent and to support small and diverse businesses. He described the Urban Business Connection, a partnership with the City of Columbus, Franklin County and the Urban League of Columbus that has identified \"over 175 businesses\" whose membership dues the program has covered to give them access to chamber services. Clay also described Cultivate Us, a program focused on immigrant and new American entrepreneurs, and said the Columbus Chamber provides office space and other supports to partner organizations such as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Both chambers said they are reframing diversity, equity and inclusion work to emphasize economic opportunity. Stivers said the Ohio Chamber renamed its DEI committee at members\u0000 request to the \"Corporate Responsibility and Opportunity\" committee to emphasize opportunity and member preferences.

Panelists stressed that workforce programs must be practical and tied to employers' needs. Clay urged a focus on early childhood education, K'12 alignment with industry and certificate programs as part of a talent pipeline. Stivers also said chambers are supporting efforts that scale entrepreneurship in disadvantaged communities by adding training on businesses that can grow and create generational wealth.

Ending: Chamber leaders said they will continue expanding partnerships with educational institutions, community organizations and state programs such as TechCred to strengthen the region's workforce and help small and diverse businesses grow.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Columbus Metropolitan Club: The Power of Two Chambers","oneSentenceSummary","At a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum, chamber leaders described programs to keep graduates and upskill incumbent workers, including TechCred partnerships, paid chamber memberships for diverse firms and entrepreneur training for disadvantaged communities.","taxTitle","Columbus City Council, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio","taxId",75950,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6661777,"Chambers back passenger-rail study but say business case must be proven",188,2584000,2772000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2405895-7096176f88070e047e30031fcb0068e1&start=2584&end=2772","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2405895-7096176f88070e047e30031fcb0068e1/thumbnail_2584000.jpg","/articles/6661777/Ohio/Chambers-back-passenger-rail-study-but-say-business-case-must-be-proven","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661777-bda6e81ab994f8e823cda8a94854e030/orig.mp4?Expires=1770930110&Signature=fSZh-2B7bPK12t4TdY0zNx3LPL3cJFtyramjF8iCjyYWenuaT9EnPqYTwa1J0rlolOCBR8Mxc5Kv72T-QZaH6LoJGiu4ldzdAsaNzivSBSqQOYGdRFAo1jgzCxJ0sazsgajN2kElXLNhoZ51wHi51oVLg2OL338V7RU1V82tBfMrCQ-zW5RYuxDvJV~mr5sZ5aqZFATWLTAj~gfnKdkfFOtxXa0eOdOEINBS1uOcP-AUghutEa8nm25iR7yCEFQMSnwoIHCSD0rEINADp0r4Bogk~cNqULyybIgRP1v~AVJAKc8Sp5L~Qo3Y~BfuM~pBn9otgbZBuT0rVFnCxrtQwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Columbus Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce said they are open to passenger rail for Central Ohio but want a demonstrable business case before supporting long-term service or funding.

\"We are very open to this, but we wanna see the business case and we wanna make sure that it is sustainable, economically going forward,\" Steve Stivers, president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, told the Columbus Metropolitan Club audience. Stivers said the chambers want to avoid \"another white elephant\" and that the objective of the current study is to test ridership and sustainability.

Derek Clay, president and CEO of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, said regional rail could better connect the Columbus hub to other Ohio metropolitan areas and beyond, noting examples from other states. \"I rode it, and it was more comfortable than a car. Faster,\" Clay said of SunRail in Florida as an example of service that could be informative for Ohio.

The discussion followed a question from Chris Amorose Groomes, mayor of Dublin and chair of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), who noted a MORPC delegation had met U.S. lawmakers and Amtrak representatives and asked the chambers to elaborate on public-private partnership value. Panelists said that if a study demonstrates consistent ridership and a sustainable financing model, public-private partnerships could play a role in development.

Panelists also noted national connectivity would strengthen the case: speakers referenced potential links to Pittsburgh, Chicago and Washington, D.C., and stressed the economic benefits of reducing car travel and improving regional labor mobility. No commitments for funding or formal endorsements were announced at the forum.

Ending: Chamber leaders said they will monitor the MORPC-led study and engage with stakeholders to evaluate whether a passenger-rail project meets business-case thresholds before supporting construction or ongoing subsidies.","Leaders from the Columbus Chamber and Ohio Chamber told a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum they support studying passenger rail connections for Central Ohio but will require a sustainable ridership and financing case before backing service expansion.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6661780,"Chambers say Columbus growth hinges on housing, workforce and permitting reform",1209,332000,1541000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2405895-7096176f88070e047e30031fcb0068e1&start=332&end=1541","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2405895-7096176f88070e047e30031fcb0068e1/thumbnail_332000.jpg","/articles/6661780/Ohio/Chambers-say-Columbus-growth-hinges-on-housing-workforce-and-permitting-reform","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661780-f38cab3f818bc9a202b9d81bf11b4e80/orig.mp4?Expires=1770930110&Signature=AMTdfscHM5nlDzqaPcKGSv2dMFZGF4tqDmBaHCdvXV57J78KdmWJqhLVgP9I5vqgJuM9IS6hG8W2W5dqk~JnLnMX~v3aXHFclXbj1B9ilzoI6A1t81CnKs1ML6hCouITH2U3cxsYiKQjhNJsZmSTs-Ackwo-to~gr2k7FtyhzlYTptkNbgYdioQqX2HfTho~sovqKAPLdHf8PuBgquD88o3RVaWMo3ToZ5mnmmjbdVFYGiH1cb5iXEJOJTAS2-L~Lm9TpEIqMM2the1p4et-TsIUD5J-AUAUYTV1RxASEW6jQsPb0uVPJ8m1tkptv~GiXiwZeJe0a4T~7jVuOkQncg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Derek Clay, president and CEO of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and Steve Stivers, president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, told a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum that the Central Ohio economy is booming but faces capacity constraints that could limit future growth.

\"We're a boom town right now,\" Derek Clay said, pointing to multiple large investments in the region. He and other panelists cited Intel\u0000s construction and a Honda battery plant nearing completion as examples of large employers bringing jobs and supply-chain demand to the region.

The panelists identified three interlocking challenges that must be solved to sustain growth: a workforce pipeline aligned to employer needs, a regional housing shortage, and lengthy permitting and regulatory processes. Steve Stivers said permitting reform is a priority at the Ohio Chamber. \"Permitting reform is something that, is a giant drag on economic development and growth,\" Stivers said, adding that some federal permits can take \"6 to 12 months\" and slow projects.

Both leaders emphasized workforce development across education levels. Clay noted Central Ohio has \"25 plus institutions\" of higher education and said internships and certificate programs are essential to supply employers with skilled workers. Stivers described an initiative to connect students at Ohio colleges with Ohio employers through internships as a retention tool; he cited a specific example of an intern, Megan Del Rey, who took a job in Ohio after interning at the Ohio Chamber.

Housing constraints were discussed as a limiting factor for future growth. Clay said the region is \"about 200,000 units short in housing,\" and credited the City of Columbus\u0000s recent \"zone-in\" legislation with putting an estimated \"88,000 units\" into the market over the next few years. He and Stivers both argued that zoning and a broader regional housing strategy are needed because growth in Columbus affects the whole state\u0000s supply chains and labor market.

Trade and macroeconomic risks were also raised. Stivers warned that tariffs and rising inflation could create headwinds for Ohio businesses, noting particular concern about tariffs that could affect Canadian energy supplies to Ohio refineries.

The two chambers said they work at different scales but often collaborate: the Ohio Chamber focuses on state-level policy and permitting issues while the Columbus Chamber concentrates on local programs to attract and retain talent and support small businesses. Clay described new local initiatives such as an executive relocation service and programs aimed at succession planning for family businesses.

The forum concluded with both leaders urging a regional approach: faster, clearer permitting; more housing; and coordinated workforce strategies to ensure Central Ohio can absorb large job-creation projects without losing momentum.

Ending: Panelists said next steps include continued policy advocacy on permitting and taxes, expanded internship and upskilling programs, and regional coordination on housing. No formal actions were taken at the forum.","Leaders of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce told a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum that the region\u0000s rapid job growth from projects such as Intel and a Honda battery plant will be constrained without more housing, workforce development and faster permitting.","actionData","errors"]

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Chambers pitch internships, TechCred and targeted programs to upskill workers and support diverse businesses

Chambers back passenger-rail study but say business case must be proven

Chambers say Columbus growth hinges on housing, workforce and permitting reform