University of Akron President Luis M. Proenza joined U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Northeast Ohio college presidents and regional business leaders today for a key summit on strategies to combat "brain drain." At the regional summit, Proenza and the other attendees discussed ways to train college students and Ohio workers for 21st century jobs, and strategies to create and retain good-paying jobs in the state.
At the summit, Proenza and Sen. Brown were joined by Case Western Reserve University President Barbara Snyder, Hiram College President Tom Chema, and Lorain County Community College President Roy Church.
"It is vitally important that business pays as much attention to their talent supply chain as they do to their materials and component supply chain," Proenza says. "Working in partnership with colleges and universities to develop human capital can bring large returns on investment."
Today's forum was the final of six regional conferences Sen. Brown's office has held throughout Ohio. These regional forums resulted from a first-of-its-kind meeting of Ohio college presidents convened by the senator in April. Held in Washington, D.C., this conference was attended by 46 of Ohio's college and university presidents.