Part 1 of 3: Why Advocacy is a Career Coach’s Best Tool

Note: Become an advocacy champion! This is part 1 of a 3-part series on effective advocacy, how to engage on behalf of our clients, and the best channels for communication!. Part two will be published in the Pulse on Ohio newsletter next month!

As career advocacy professionals, we are often the "early warning system" for the Ohio economy. We see the shift in required skills, the specific hurdles for veterans, or the impact of a plant closure months before those trends show up in a state report. While our daily work focuses on empowering the individual, there is a broader level of empowerment that happens all over the state, from state boards to public comment in a town hall meeting to organizations. Advocacy happens everywhere, just as the Government Relations Committee represents our members and clients at the statehouse.

Engaging with elected officials isn’t about "politics" in a partisan sense; it’s about professional expertise. You possess ground-level data that legislators in Columbus need but rarely get from a spreadsheet. When bills like Senate Bill 143 (addressing criminal background questions on applications) or the 2026-2027 Combined State Plan are under debate, lawmakers are looking for "the why." They need to know how these policies actually play out in an OhioMeansJobs center or a private coaching session. We can help provide that necessary content from meeting with our clients, partners, and the discussions that take place in our offices.

By sharing our perspective, we ensure our representatives have a clear view of the "real world" of work:

• Ensuring Funding Hits the Mark: We can advocate for Partnership, Funding, and Grants to ensure training dollars are going toward the actual jobs being created in our specific regions.

• Spotlighting Hidden Barriers: We can point out where professional licensing or "red tape" is unintentionally keeping qualified Ohioans on the sidelines.

• Amplifying Client Potential: Many of our clients don’t have the time or resources to testify in a committee. When we speak up, we aren't just representing a profession—we’re representing the untapped potential of the Ohio workforce.

This advocacy is crucial and next week we will examine some ways to engage in advocacy with your representatives, from simple things you can do at home to in-person meetings you can have in your neighborhood, city, or state level. See you next month for part 2!

Onward,

Sarah JanTausch & Newton Kimberly| Co-Chairs, OCDA Government Relations Committee