There’s no community in our state or state in our nation that doesn’t have some type of transportation issue that they are wrestling with right now, whether that’s getting to a job or getting to the hospital or creating public transportation that’s accessible to everyone. It’s a global issue, especially at the rate and pace of change of technology.

There is an amazing opportunity for schools and students to be part of the conversation about these various transportation issues — most of these issues will be theirs in just a few years, after all. So, today, we’re talking to someone who is out there, every day, working with schools and other community partners to solve these problems in a way that works for everyone: Rich Granger, Managing Director of Workforce Development at DriveOhio.

If you’re not familiar, DriveOhio is “the state’s one-stop shop for connected and automated mobility solutions on the ground and in the air.” They’re essentially a startup inside of the Ohio Department of Transportation that’s focused on streamlining collaborating with businesses and community partners to solve Smart Mobility problems — or problems related to safety, mobility, access, reliability, and talent — in a world that is constantly changing and increasingly automated.

We unbox:

• How DriveOhio is engaging the early and emerging workforce (and why that’s important)
• Partnering with the Ohio STEM Learning Network to create design challenges that allow students to help solve real problems
• Creating lasting relationships between DriveOhio and schools
• What happens when you give a fleet of tiny robots to a classroom of kids and ask them to solve problems
• DriveOhio’s relationship with higher education
• Empowering local educators to feel prepared and ready to help students see the future career opportunities
• Preparing kids for problems that they will inherit

Resources:

• DriveOhio: drive.ohio.gov
• Learn more about Ohio’s Smart Mobility Corridor: www.33smartcorridor.com
• Twitter: twitter.com/RichGranger
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/richgranger/