Public employees offered free training

Northwest State CC information

ARCHBOLD — Public sector employees who are interested in innovating, providing better service and saving money may qualify for free training designed to help them do just that. The Local Government Efficiency Program, sponsored by the Ohio Development Services Agency, is providing scholarships for LeanOhio Boot Camp. The one-week lean training session was created specifically for public employees and utilizes lean tools that have been proven to work in government.

Lean concepts, historically used in manufacturing, can be applied anywhere there is a process. Focused on eliminating waste and creating the most efficient workplace possible, lean concepts add value by utilizing known solutions and lowering complexity. Lean practices can benefit any business or industry and involve all employees from frontline workers to senior managers.

“The great thing about lean concepts is that they have so many applications, from local school districts to city and county governments,” said Jim Drewes, director of workforce development at Northwest State Community College. “The state is seeing some great results from agencies that are utilizing lean practices. The State Treasurer’s Office, for example, is realizing annual savings of more than $91,000 after streamlining its process for posting revenues.”

“Once employees receive lean training, the goal is to have them apply what they’ve learned. The Local Government Efficiency Program has a grant component that can help with that,” said Drewes. “Grants of up to $100,000 per organization are available to fund projects designed to make services simpler, faster, better and less costly. Northwest State is here to provide grant support and mentoring to go along with that.”

Northwest State Community College is the only certified training provider for LeanOhio Boot Camp in northwest Ohio, and classes are available in multiple locations. Registration is now open for the first LeanOhio Boot Camp session, which is scheduled to begin on September 23. To learn more about the Local Government Efficiency Program, or to register for LeanOhio Boot Camp, contact Jim Drewes at 419.438.3660 or jdrewes@NorthwestState.edu. More information is available through Custom Training Solutions, the workforce development division of NSCC, at www.TrainWithCTS.com/LeanOhio.