The State of Ohio is doing what it can to help create new jobs, rejuvenate the economy and prepare for the future.

In April, according to a press release from the State of Ohio, Governor Ted Strickland announced a $1.57 billion jobs stimulus package that aims to create new jobs and lay the foundation for future economic prosperity. With the exception of the Clean Ohio program, the ballot will not need to be passed by voters in November.

“This bipartisan jobs stimulus plan will create jobs, make us a leader in emerging industries and establish the foundation for long-term growth and prosperity in Ohio,” Strickland said in the press release.

The package, which is expected to create thousands of new jobs, makes major investments in workforce, infrastructure and new and emerging industries that will spur job creation throughout the state.

New and emerging industries of focus include:

• $50 million for bio-based products to help support and grow an industry that aims to produce polymers, plastics and other crucial modern materials out of Ohio-grown crops
• $100 million for biomedical to create jobs through spurring a part of the state's economy that saves lives and leads to medical advances
• $150 million for advanced and renewable energy to create new jobs by making Ohio a powerhouse of renewable and advanced energy production such as wind, solar and clean coal

Infrastructures of focus include:

• $100 million for logistics and distribution to spur job creation through investing in infrastructure that can be used to expand and support businesses that move and distribute products
• $400 million for local infrastructure to help build important local infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, sewers and water systems
• $200 million for Clean Ohio conservation to fund the preservation of farmland and greenspace
• $200 million for Clean Ohio revitalization to help revitalize cities and industrial areas by brownfield cleanup and transformation into new residential and business development
• $120 million for historic preservation tax credit to revitalize historically significant buildings that expand the tax base of the local economy

The Higher Education Workforce Initiative also will be given $250 million to help keep more college-educated Ohioans in the state. This will be done by linking people with good internships, cooperative education programs and jobs while they earn degrees.

The proposal's total investment of $1.57 billion will be funded through bond sales, existing revenue and other sources.

Labels: New Jobs