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Meet Joshua Bruce, Area 20 Workforce Board Member
The Area 20 Workforce Partnership serves as the local Workforce Development Board for Fairfield, Hocking, Pickaway, Ross and Vinton counties. The board brings together employers, educators, labor and community partners to develop workforce policies and connect residents with career opportunities through OhioMeansJobs.
For Joshua, the work is personal. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, he saw firsthand how a lack of information and access could limit career opportunities. After joining the Army, he spent 25 years gaining and teaching skills in areas including automotive maintenance, logistics, transportation and engineering.
Today, Joshua sees a similar gap between employers seeking skilled workers and individuals who may not know those careers exist. His goal is to help close that gap and make career opportunities more accessible.
"The most rewarding part is watching a person’s opportunities expand,” Joshua said. “Decisions about training investment, apprenticeship support and employer engagement translate directly into someone being hired, trained, promoted or retrained.”
Through OhioMeansJobs and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act services, the Workforce Partnership provides free career resources for students, adults changing careers, veterans and employers. The organization works to remove barriers and ensure local residents and businesses have access to the resources they need to succeed.
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