Ohio Governor John Kasich recently named one of the state’s top apprentice advocates to the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board, an association of business leaders that forecast the skill needs of employers.
Stephen Lipster, Director of the Electrical Trades Center, received the appointment from Governor Kasich in July. The choice of Lipter to fill the Board’s vacancy is an important step for industries who rely on apprentices such as construction. If there is one person in the state who has the experience to advocate for apprenticeships, it is Lipster, who has been actively involved with apprenticeships since 1984.
Lipster is one of 26 members on the Board, which was created in 2012, and meets once a quarter. The Board plays a vital role in advising and directing the Governor and the Office of Workforce Transformation in reforming Ohio’s Workforce System. While the majority of the Board represents private-industry business, other areas represented include labor, higher education, career technical education, the Ohio General Assembly and local government.
In addition to Lipster’s duties with the Electrical Trades Center, his resume includes serving as the chair of the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council and as a member of various boards, including the Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation (COWIC), the local WIA board in Columbus, a local YouthBuild Board, and boards of the state and regional professional electrical training associations.
“My appointment is important in the fact that apprenticeship has now risen in stature to the point where an ‘apprenticeship guy’ is considered necessary on the Board,” said Lipster. “This appointment is the result of a lot of hard work at the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, particularly the Office of Workforce Development, who have worked so hard to raise the awareness of apprenticeship; not only to young Ohioans, but to Ohio employers as well.”
