Ohio State Receives $4.9 Million to Train Climate-Responsive Workforce Along Lake Erie Shores

LAKE ERIE WATERSHED…

Project to train new workers to meet the specialized labor needs of the water industry

PUBLISHED ON June 13, 2024

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) has received a $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce and NOAA to fund a project that will train new workers to meet the skilled labor needs of the water industry in Ohio’s Great Lakes region.

The grant will fund the project “Training a Climate Ready Workforce to Manage the Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources in Ohio’s Coastal Communities,” which will be led by Lorrayne Miralha, CFAES assistant professor of Watershed modeling and data analysis. The four-year project will focus on four Ohio counties located on the shores of Lake Erie – Erie, Lorain, Lucas and Cuyahoga – to train new workers in the fields of stormwater management, water assessment Risk, Watershed Science, Environmental Compliance, Environmental Justice and Data Analysis.

The need for more trained workers in these areas is important, given that the coastal areas of the Great Lakes require a specialized workforce to ensure that water resources meet economic and societal needs and resist vulnerabilities caused by climate change, Miralha said.

“The Lake Erie watershed provides diverse coastal resources to its 12 million residents and generates more than $11 billion in annual revenue for local businesses,” she said. “However, coastal communities, including Toledo, Lorain, Sandusky, and Cleveland, Ohio, are threatened by climate-exacerbated effects, such as water quality degradation, excess nutrient loading, overgrowth of toxic algae, reduced ice cover and fluctuating water levels.

“Our goal is to provide opportunities for those considering the next stage of their lives by training at least 100 climate-ready workers, including technicians, scientists and engineers, to meet labor needs. of specialized water industry work in the Great Lakes by 2028.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand is expected to increase for a range of climate-related jobs, such as hydrologists (6% increase), environmental engineers/scientists (3-8%) and data analysis experts (32%). ) by 2029.

“The four counties were also chosen because they are struggling due to high unemployment rates, with per capita income lower than 80 percent of U.S. counties,” Miralha said.

Working on behalf of CFAES and Ohio State University Extension, the program, which officially begins Aug. 1, will partner with Lorain Community College, Central State University, Ohio State University Stone Laboratory and Ohio Sea Grant to recruit and train the next generation of climate-ready workers for such jobs, including hydrologists, environmental engineers, environmental scientists, water treatment plant operators and water experts data analysis, Miralha said. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of CFAES.

“Through a framework for developing knowledge and skills in water quality monitoring and modeling, geographic information systems, stormwater infrastructure, and policy and management environmental, participants will form a diverse, digitally savvy workforce at different career levels with the expertise to provide their communities with climate-resilient solutions for water network services on the South Coast. Lake Erie,” she said.

Once trained, workers could be hired by local utility employers such as the Cleveland Water Department, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, which are partners in the training program.

“We plan to train people who will get jobs at the end of each level of training we offer,” Miralha said. “Most crucially, together with The Junction Coalition, which is trusted by the Toledo community and other climate-vulnerable communities around Lake Erie, we plan to recruit interns from these communities and place them in jobs.

“We believe that training individuals from these communities will prepare them to implement solutions that will improve the quality of water resources and climate resilience of these regions, as well as their socio-economic status. »

Other project partners include the Ohio EPA, the National Weather Service and area companies LimnoTech, Geosyntec Consultations, Mad Scientist Associates LLC and Xylem. Project partners include Ohio TechNet, Cleveland Water Alliance, TMACOG, Student Conservation Association, Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District and The Junction Coalition Community Connections.

The Ohio project is one of nine projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act to “train workers on our coasts and help them find good-paying jobs that strengthen climate resilience and local economies,” said US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in a statement. written statement.

“Climate change is accelerating the need for a new generation of skilled workers who can help communities address a wide range of climate impacts, including sea level rise, flooding, water quality issues water and the need for solutions such as renewable energy,” Raimondo said.

More information on how to participate as an employer partner or as an intern in the Ohio Project will be announced later this summer.

— Ohio State University CFAES