<<<Back to Small Change Archive 2005 Spot # Spot Name 1 The Science of... Science Aired: Week of 2/7/05 Source: The Growth Association of Cleveland Improving the region’s economy: it’s not rocket science. But there is a lot of bioscience involved. Bioscience - which includes medical devices, pharmaceuticals, medical diagnostics and software - is proving to be one of Northeast Ohio’s fastest growing industries. In fact, it was one of only two industry sectors to actually grow since the late 90s. That growth created nearly 500 new jobs; jobs that pay well above the region’s average. It’s still a relatively small portion of the region’s economy, but more growth is expected, which means improving the economy actually could be rocket science... and bioscience... and bio-physics... and bio-chemistry... and life-science... 2 No Money in the Arts... Hah! Aired: Week of 2/14/05 Source: United States Census Bureau Most parents discourage their kids from being too artistic. They think being an artist means you’re starving. But if you do it right, it can be lucrative on a personal and regional scale. Consider your basic coffee cup - who do you think decided it should look like that? Or what about a calculator or the images on a can of paint? It all came from the brain of some designer, also known as an artist. These designers are a big part of the economy; in the Cleveland-Akron area, industrial and graphic designers generated an annual payroll of nearly $28 million. Add to that other arts-related industries like lawyers and promoters, and who said there’s no money in the arts? 3 No Money in the Arts... Hah! Aired: Week of 2/21/05 Source: United States Census Bureau Most parents discourage their kids from being too artistic. They think being an artist means you’re starving. But if you do it right, it can be lucrative on a personal and regional scale. Consider your basic coffee cup - who do you think decided it should look like that? Or what about a calculator or the images on a can of paint? It all came from the brain of some designer, also known as an artist. These designers are a big part of the economy; in the Cleveland-Akron area, industrial and graphic designers generated an annual payroll of nearly $28 million. Add to that other arts-related industries like lawyers and promoters, and who said there’s no money in the arts? 4 Assets of the Port Authority Aired: Week of 2/28/05 Source: The Port Authority of Cleveland It’s rough out there on the wild seas of Lake Erie... good thing we have an authority looking out for our industries and economy. It’s easy to forget that a Port Authority rules over the Port of Cleveland, one of the best economic assets in the region. Industry supported by the Port employs 11,000 people and generates more than $822 million in business revenue alone. Add in the non-tangible benefits of the port - such as the lending programs it offer and the Tall Ships festival it hosts - and you’ve got a pretty impressive economic anchor, right here in Northeast Ohio. 5 Assets of the Port Authority Aired: Week of 3/7/05 Source: The Port Authority of Cleveland It’s rough out there on the wild seas of Lake Erie... good thing we have an authority looking out for our industries and economy. It’s easy to forget that a Port Authority rules over the Port of Cleveland, one of the best economic assets in the region. Industry supported by the Port employs 11,000 people and generates more than $822 million in business revenue alone. Add in the non-tangible benefits of the port - such as the lending programs it offer and the Tall Ships festival it hosts - and you’ve got a pretty impressive economic anchor, right here in Northeast Ohio. 6 The Great Outdoors Aired: Week of 3/14/05 Sources: Cuyahoga Valley National Park Service; Lakewood Public Library The great outdoors is calling your name! And in Northeast Ohio, it's easy to respond to the call. Can there be too many options for outdoor life? The Cuyahoga Valley National Park has 33,000 acres at your disposal. Cleveland's Emerald Necklace contains more than 60 miles of paved trails. Lake Metroparks offers golfing, skiing and maple-syrup making. There's also the Holden Arboretum, the Buckeye Trail, Cleveland Lakefront State Parks…just to name a few. So if you wonder about quality of life in Northeast Ohio, why not wander around in the parks? 7 The Science of... Science Aired: Week of 3/21/05 Source: The Growth Association of Cleveland Improving the region’s economy: it’s not rocket science. But there is a lot of bioscience involved. Bioscience - which includes medical devices, pharmaceuticals, medical diagnostics and software - is proving to be one of Northeast Ohio’s fastest growing industries. In fact, it was one of only two industry sectors to actually grow since the late 90s. That growth created nearly 500 new jobs; jobs that pay well above the region’s average. It’s still a relatively small portion of the region’s economy, but more growth is expected, which means improving the economy actually could be rocket science... and bioscience... and bio-physics... and bio-chemistry... and life-science... 8 Fun With Wind Aired: Week of 5/9/05 Sources: Iowa Department of Natural Resources; Awea Windletter Ever stood by the lake and found your hair was being blown horizontal? Northeast Ohio gets windy sometimes. You could get annoyed by that, or use it to your advantage. Think wind power. Now, think education. Yes, really. Iowa built the country’s first school-based wind turbine back in 1993. Since then, Iowa school districts have saved so much money that the state is now offering incentives for non-wind-powered schools to make the change. Other states are jumping on the bandwagon. Could this be the windfall Ohio’s cash-strapped schools have been waiting for? 9 That One Word Aired: Week of 5/16/05 Source: Polymer Ohio, Inc. Back in 1967, Dustin Hoffman’s movie character in The Graduate was the unenthusiastic recipient of now-famous career advice. The advice was: “Just one word - plastics.” These days, the more inclusive word would be polymer. Northeast Ohio boasts one of the highest rates of employment in this industry in the nation. $49 billion in polymer-related goods ship from the region every year. That’s polymer’s present, but it’s future is here as well. Two of the country’s best polymer programs are at Case and the University of Akron. 10 Grandparents Raising Kids Aired: Week of 5/23/05 Source: ODJFS Did you know, 86,000 Ohio grandparents are raising their grandchildren? Often their efforts come at a high personal cost. But they save society money - billions per year nationally in one study - by raising kids who might otherwise be in foster care. Who helps them? The state department of Job and Family Services now provides a kinship navigator program that offers referrals to services and in some cases provides cash benefits. 11 Being Bilingual Aired: Week of 5/30/05 Source: N/A When was the last time were asked whether you wanted to navigate your bank’s voicemail system in French? At one time, French was the most popular foreign language to study in Ohio, but Spanish is now preferred 3-to-1 in classrooms across the state. Maybe that’s because, by the year 2030, 60 million people in the U.S. will be Spanish speakers - students and retirees; parents and professionals. People who need services. People who buy and sell goods. We’re not a bilingual country - yet. Would it make good dollars and sense to become one? 12 Running Economy Aired: Week of 6/6/05 Source: RunnersWeb.com Did you know filling the streets with runners can speed up the economy? An economic impact study into the 2004 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon determined that the annual event brought nearly $7 million into the region. This year’s marathon took place May 22, but if you missed it, you can still boost the economy. Take a jog around the block, climb a flight of stairs, walk to the corner store. Increasing your physical fitness lowers healthcare costs. 13 Got Conflict? Try Mediation Aired: Week of 6/13/05 Source: Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management Did you know that most performance problems in the workplace result from interpersonal conflict, not lack of skill or motivation? Anyone who’s held a job knows workplace conflict is common - so common, in fact, that in 1997 Ohio launched a Workplace Mediation Program for state employees. The program is a partnership between labor and management, and does not replace other avenues for resolving disputes. In seven years, it has handled well over 100 cases, with a success rate of 87%. 14 No Time for Exercise? Get It at Work Aired: Week of 6/20/05 Source: Mayo Clinic Here’s a new version of whistle while you work: Walk, bike, or slide while you work. Endocrinologist James Levine is convinced that people can increase their metabolic rate (and stave off obesity) by moving more. So he’s redesigned his offices at the Mayo Clinic to encourage movement. Employees walk treadmills or ride stationary bikes at their desks, stroll around a track during staff meetings, and even carpet ski to meetings with the boss. Levine says any office space can be designed to promote fitness, and improving employee’s health more than offsets the cost. 15 Life After Foster Care Aired: Week of 6/27/05 Source: National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development It's rough growing up without parents - both during and after. Foster kids who turn 18 without being adopted frequently have a hard time adjusting to independence. Often, they wind up on the streets, are incarcerated, lose their jobs, and have no access to health care. Since 2001, the federal government has been helping ease these transitions by providing former foster kids with things like housing services and life skills training. There’s even $5,000 in cash available to support education. For four years, former foster youth can get help with tuition, books, and some living expenses. 16 Manufacturing and You? Aired: Week of 7/11/05 Source: CAMP When people talk about manufacturing in Northeast Ohio, frequently they speak in the past tense. It’s no wonder, since hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost here in recent years. But manufacturing remains critical, and one organization long involved in supporting it is CAMP, launched more than 20 years ago as the Cleveland Advanced Manufacturing Program. CAMP runs a business incubator for manufacturing and technology companies - and it’s looking for new entrepreneurs to support. Maybe one of them is you. 17 Growing Minority Businesses Aired: Week of 7/25/05 Source: N/A A new national study has found that, while minority entrepreneurs have access to more money and support than ever, they don’t always take advantage of it. The New Agenda for Minority Business Development asserts that minorities often don’t think big enough when it comes to business, and are clustered in stagnant industries. Prospective entrepreneurs, the report says, should target growth industries like information technology and health care. It recommends that existing entrepreneurs forge partnerships, seek out new markets, and expand. 18 Embracing the Graying Workforce Aired: Week of 8/1/05 Source: Borders Group; AARP The AARP says within five years, about 20% of America’s workforce will be over 55. And it’s collaborating with some companies who want to recruit older workers. One such company is Borders Books. Borders recruiter Suzanne Trevison says reflecting the demographics of the community boosts business. And, she says, older workers are generally loyal and knowledgeable. She advises employers to know what they value - it might be good benefits or flexibility on the job - and to consider life experience in hiring, not just professional background. 19 The How of Economic Growth Aired: Week of 8/8/05 Source: American Jobs: A National Conversation (PDF) Northeast Ohioans are giving their two cents on how to improve job growth. The Council for Excellence in Government and the Global market Institute at Goldman Sachs recently polled greater Clevelanders to gauge their attitudes about how to improve the job climate. Many said job training and assistance would be a very effective way to encourage job growth. Likewise with providing health care and child care to those with no access to them, and raising the minimum wage, and offering low or no-interest loans to help businesses. But the top priority, according to the poll, is improving the public education system - 88%said they want better schools. 20 Child Labor Today Aired: Week of 8/15/05 Source: Youth Rules; Child Labor Coalition; Teens & Unsafe Work; Working the Smart Shift About five-and-a-half million teens are employed across the country. U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao calls employment a great opportunity for young people to learn important job skills, but she cautions that state and federal laws restrict what and how much kids can do. Kids can work no more than three hours on school days and eight hours on non-school days, and they can’t do hazardous work. Experts say such limits, along with parental oversight, are critical to kids’ safety and scholastic achievement. 21 The High Costs of Workplace Bullying Aired: Week of 8/22/05 Source: Bullying Studies; The Workplace Bullying & Trauma Institute It may take the form of verbal abuse, work sabotage, or intimidation. One in six Americans is bullied at work, according to research. Bullying isn’t just unpleasant for those affected, it’s also costly. It may lower productivity and morale, and increase absenteeism and staff turnover. It can also land individuals and companies in legal trouble, if they are sued for allowing an employee to be traumatized. Estimates of the annual costs associated with bullying range from the millions to the billions. A handful of states are considering legislation outlawing bully behavior in the workplace. Ohio is not one of them. 22 Farm Safety Aired: Week of 8/29/05 Source: Ohio State Safety and Health Agriculture contributes $67.7 billion to the state’s economy and employs 1-in-6 Ohioans. Agriculture is vital to Ohio’s economy, but can also be very dangerous. Farm work, in particular, is hazardous, and farmers are most at risk in the summer. More than 150 farmers died between 1995 and 2004 in Ohio, the vast majority of them in tracter accidents. Experts say most fatalities can be prevented, with proper education and safety practices. 23 Child Labor Aired: Week of 8/29/05 Source: Youth Rules; Child Labor Coalition; Teens & Unsafe Work; Working the Smart Shift About five-and-a-half million teens are employed across the country. U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao calls employment a great opportunity for young people to learn important job skills, but she cautions that state and federal laws restrict what and how much kids can do. Kids can work no more than three hours on school days and eight hours on non-school days, and they can’t do hazardous work. Experts say such limits, along with parental oversight, are critical to kids’ safety and scholastic achievement. 24 The Not-So-High Cost of Doing Business in Ohio Aired: Week of 9/15/05 Source: Milken Institute Cost of Doing Business Index Think it costs too much to run your business in Ohio? Be glad you’re not located in Hawaii or New York. The latest Milken Institute Cost of Doing Business Index ranks Hawaii number one for the second year in a row. New York has also held steady in the number 2 spot. Ohio, by contrast, is number 26. The Index measures 5 business costs, from average annual wages to rental space and electricity. Apart from its tax burden, which is just over the national average, Ohio’s business costs are below average in every area covered. 25 The Bottom Line on Fit Workers 1 Aired: Week of 9/22/05 Source: Workplace Resource Center Employers are becoming more involved in promoting the health of their workers. In 1987, 65% of U.S. worksites with 50 or more employees had at least one health promotion activity. Today, most large corporations have complete wellness centers, and many small- to mid-size firms offer some type of wellness program. Such programs can decrease health costs, and increase productivity. But well under half of workers in companies with wellness programs participate in them. 26 The Bottom Line on Fit Workers 2 Aired: Week of 9/22/05 Source: Workplace Resource Center Because studies show that workers who are fit tend to be healthier and more productive, many employers now offer health and wellness programs for their employees. But research indicates just 20 to 40% of employees use health and wellness programs. How can companies increase participation? Incentives that have been most successful include throwing parties, increasing insurance coverage, providing cash bonuses, and offering days off of work when employees meet weight or exercise goals. 27 Workplace Injury and Illness Prevention Aired: Week of 9/29/05 Source: U.S. Department of Labor; Public Employment Risk Reduction Program In 2003, there were 4.3 million cases of work-related illness or injury in the U.S., according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. 5,700 workers died on the job that year, 206 of them in Ohio. Work-related injury and illness cost the country tens of billions in direct (and hundreds of billions in indirect) costs every year. In Ohio, many public employers can get safety training and inspection through the Public Employment Risk Reduction Program to ensure they’re in compliance with health and safety laws. 28 The Economics of Alternative Energy Aired: Week of 10/10/05 Source: Regional Economics Applications Laboratory for the Environmental Law & Policy Center Wondering how to boost jobs in Ohio? According to a regional study, the answer is blowing in the wind - and growing in the sun. Wind farms, solar energy, biomass. According to Job Jolt, a report by the Regional Economics Applications Laboratory at the University of Illinois, the Midwest could add 200,000 new jobs over the next two decades, and increase worker income by $5.5 billion, by boosting its production of renewable energy. 29 The Upside of Down Aired: Week of 10/17/05 Source: Youngstown 2010 Did you know Youngstown is on the cutting edge of urban planning? Youngstown’s stated vision for its future includes accepting that the city will not grow to its former proportions. That acceptance aligns Youngstown with the latest thinking in urban planning, which focuses less on growing urban populations, and more on improving cities for existing residents. Sustainability is the goal here, and concrete ideas for achieving it include turning vacant lots into gardens, green spaces, or sites for alternative energy generation. 30 Asians and Asian Americans in Today’s Workplace Aired: Week of 10/24/05 Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Intentional Discrimination Project About four percent of American workers are of Asian heritage, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. But Asian Americans are more likely than their numbers suggest to be employed as professionals and technicians. In Ohio, the number of Asian American professionals quintupled between 1975 and 1999. Still, job discrimination persists, according to a Rutgers University study. The study found that two-fifths of Asian American workers in Ohio experience discrimination during their job search. 31 Jobs, Jobs, Jobs Aired: Week of 10/31/05 Source: Occupations with the Largest Job Growth, 2000–2012; Occupations with the Largest Job Decline, 2000–2012 According to the U.S. government, job growth in the next few years will be heavily concentrated in health care and information technology. It’s good news for Northeast Ohio, with its large health-care - and burgeoning info tech - industries. Medical assistants and home health aides will have the best job prospects, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Also on the BLS list of fast-growing occupations are software engineering and computer systems analysis. Some of the worst job choices, on the other hand, will be farming; fishing, word processing, and almost any job in the textile industry. 32 The Rise and/or Fall of Minimum Wage Aired: Week of 11/7/05 Source: The Business Journal; Stateline.org; U.S. Department of Labor Does a hike in the minimum wage help the economy, or hurt it? Opponents of minimum wage hikes say they increase unemployment and cost small business too much money. One recent study found that Santa Fe lost 540 jobs following a minimum wage hike. But across the country, many states are instituting hikes anyway. Advocates say people simply can’t make ends meet on $5.15 an hour - the federal minimum wage since 1997. Ohio’s minimum is actually lower than the federal level - though, here, the federal wage generally applies. 33 If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is Aired: Week of 11/14/05 Source: Ohio Consumers Again this year, senior citizens are among the favorite targets of con artists peddling bad investments. But anyone can be taken in. The Ohio Department of Commerce cautions potential investors to thoroughly research investments before buying in. The state’s investor protection hotline - at (800) 788-1194 - can be used to determine whether a firm or individual is licensed to sell securities in Ohio; whether any actions have been taken against them; and whether the investment in question is properly registered. 34 Work and Disability Aired: Week of 11/21/05 Source: Access to Disability Data; Anderson's Ohio Online Docs According to the most recent data, the unemployment rate for disabled workers is high - more than twice the rate of non-disabled people - at 12.3%. In Ohio and across the country, employers can be granted permission to pay some disabled workers below minimum wage. Proponents say it provides employment to those who otherwise might not work at all - such as people with developmental disabilities. But some disability rights advocates call the practice unfair. They argue that disabled workers will only reach their full potential when they experience equal treatment on the job - and receive equal pay for their work. 35 The Workplace According To... Aired: Week of 11/28/05 Source: Emerging Workforce Study Do employers know how to keep their workers happy? Results from a recent workforce study suggest most don’t. While workers’ top three concerns center on money - salary, benefits, and the like - executives believe a positive work environment and good relationship with the boss are key motivators. The study also found that less than half of all workers think their company is actively trying retain them. Not surprisingly, officials at Spherion Corporation, which released the study, suggest employers make a more concerted effort to understand what employees want - and to give it to them.