Latest news with #RickCarfagna
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Childcare issues lead to annual $5 billion loss for Ohio's economy
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio's lack of affordable childcare isn't just hurting families — it's costing the state's economy nearly $5.5 billion in untapped taxes and employer earnings each year, according to the new report 'Untapped Potential in Ohio.' 'You add all of that up and it just shows that not properly addressing the scarcities and the costs involved with childcare in this state is a really big and expensive problem,' said Rick Carfagna, senior vice president for government affairs at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. The study is led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in collaboration with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the nonprofit Groundwork Ohio. Carfagna said this is a difficult crisis to tackle because it's caused by several issues. Ohio lawmakers debate whether to ban fluoride from public drinking water 'First of all, it's too scarce and when you can find it, it's too expensive,' he said. 'We just simply don't have enough supply in the state either of center-based child care or in-home childcare.' He added that there are not enough people entering the early childhood workforce. 'It's unfortunately a low-wage job and so it's hard to entice people when you're competing with other industries like retail,' Carfagna said. Lastly, he said there aren't enough eligible families for publicly funded childcare. 'We are ranked the lowest in the country when it comes to qualifying at your income levels for publicly funded childcare,' he said. To be eligible, families must be at or below 145% of the Federal Poverty Level. 'We have an entire demographic of Ohioans right now that are educated,' Carfagna said. 'They're skilled. They're hard-working. They're everything you would want in a reliable employee and they're not even looking for work because they've done the math. They've calculated that bringing in an additional paycheck into their household that goes right back out the door to pay for childcare doesn't make economic sense for their family.' This report has been done in several other states as well. 'Some states have it much worse than us,' Carfagna said. 'Some states, especially the surrounding states, have it better than us. But when I say better it's not as horrible as us.' According to these reports, Michigan is losing $2.9 billion each year in economic potential, Indiana is seeing a $4.2 billion hit annually and Pennsylvania misses out on $3.4 billion. 'They also have greater investments in the state in some of the childcare offerings,' Carfagna said. 'They have higher thresholds to qualify for publicly funded childcare and that's a really key measure that we hope Ohio will take a really strong look at.' Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has proposed several measures in the state budget that could help, including increasing the maximum income for families to qualify for publicly funded childcare, a child tax credit and a tax hike on cigarettes to pay for that credit. 'We want our leaders to know that workforce is top of mind throughout the entire business community and the key to the workforce is making sure that people can return to work and have affordable and accessible childcare,' Carfagna said. Ohio House members adopted their version of the budget recently and those initiatives were eliminated. The budget remains in debate stages but must pass by the end of June. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio may mandate computer education in public schools
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio public school students might soon have a new course to complete before graduating. 'It's almost like we're talking reading, writing, arithmetic and computers anymore as the new mantra,' state Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) said. Fort Rapids waterpark may finally be sold after legal hurdle cleared A new bill set to be introduced in both the Ohio House and Ohio Senate will require that Ohio public school students take a computer science course before graduating high school. If passed, the class requirement would become effective for the class of 2032. If a school is not able to offer the course in a traditional classroom setting by that deadline, it will be required to submit an action plan to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce by June 30, 2027, outlining a plan to comply. Why computer science? Backers of the bill said it comes down to preparing the state's workforce and getting students interested in the field from a young age. 'Industry has a need now and in the future for computer programmers and I.T. personnel,' Ohio Chamber of Commerce Vice President Rick Carfagna said. 'Until we get serious about cultivating our own farm team of technology workers, Ohio companies will have to continue to either look out of state for workers or apply for federal H-1B visas to import talent from overseas.' Right now, Ohio public school students can take a computer science course to fulfill other electives or courses needed for graduation, but it is not mandatory. Demolition of Columbus buildings for 24-story tower delayed Ohio lags behind neighboring states in offering this sort of course to high schoolers. According to a study by a national group called Advocacy Coalition, only 61% of Ohio public high schools offer a computer science course. Our neighboring states like Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Indiana have a rate anywhere from 75% to 91%. 'We have to change the narrative in our education system,' Carfagna said. The access to these courses dwindles for small schools and rural schools, and young women take the course at a much lower rate than young men. 'We need to make sure that everybody in Ohio, not just in good school systems that have the money and are attractive to teachers, we need to make sure that it is available to students every place,' Cirino said. 'The importance is is that [students] get the work and they'll be able to be those employees that our manufacturers and everybody else needs,' state Sen. Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati) said. Even for students who are not necessarily interested in the field, lawmakers and supporters said it is a good baseline to have, no matter what career a young student may want to pursue. M/I to kick off construction on Powell neighborhood with nearly 400 homes Scott DiMauro at the Ohio Education Association said they may not come out opposed or supportive of the measure, but rather an interested party. He said he agrees with the basic concept of the bill: expanding access. 'It's great to provide opportunities for students to learn about computer science,' he said. 'It is an emerging field. It's a skill set that I think is important.' DiMauro worries about how exactly the class would be implemented, including things like providing the programs, technology, or even staff to teach the course. 'I think any time the state imposes a mandate on school districts, have to make sure that they're providing the resources,' DiMauro said. 'School systems do have a responsibility for making sure that their curriculum is suited to the growing and changing needs of the students and the companies that are hiring students that are graduating,' Cirino said. 'I don't think it's the state's full responsibility to provide the funding to do this, to execute the bill. ' Vivek Ramaswamy's nonprofit is barely known, but it makes big claims State Rep. Gayle Manning (R- North Ridgeville) said schools can get creative and districts may not even need to hire new staff. 'Even though [a teacher at the school] might teach math if they got a degree in computer science, then they could also teach that,' she said. Two years ago, Ohio allocated $8 million in the state operating budget to train teachers. The sponsors of this new bill said that is just a starting point and more money may be allocated in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
