COLUMBUS – Congressman Steve Stivers (R – Columbus) today hosted a Jobs Forum at Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.  The Forum was moderated by Dean Christine A. Poon from Fisher.

“It was good to hear firsthand today from Central Ohio business leaders on their current business and employment challenges and their views on the state of the economy,” Stivers said. “It was beneficial for all to hear their recommendations on the role of government and changes needed to promote job creation and growth.  From providing more certainty for small business owners to focusing on the projects that will help Central Ohio grow and prosper, we built and strengthened partnerships focused on job creation in several industry sectors.”

The forum provided Central Ohio business leaders the opportunity to promote partnerships, share innovative ideas, and offer perspectives on issues facing Congress that impact day-to-day business operations. The panelists and participating businesses and community leaders used to forum to interact and discuss their thoughts and ideas for creating and keeping jobs in the Central Ohio area.

“Our land grant mission is at the heart of an inextricable relationship between the university and the economic health of our state,” Poon said. “Today's discussion offered rich insights into how the university, government, and the private sector can continue to partner and strengthen the economic health of our region and state.”

Panel participants at the event included: small business owners, The State of Ohio, Fisher’s Center for Entrepreneurship, the logistics industry, the Columbus Chamber and the small business lending industry.

The panelists discussed a wide variety of ideas that addressed the issue of job creation including:

• Ensuring the U.S. provides a competitive tax environment for companies, including simplifying the tax code,
• Making sure there is the proper training available so workers have the skills necessary to not only change jobs but also change careers when necessary,
• The need for more locally-based venture capital funds because companies often build up around where the investors are located,
• Less government regulation on small businesses,
• Enhancing the offerings of the Small Business Administration and
• Providing better connectivity for small businesses so they better know what resources are available.  
                                                                                                      -30-