Civil Municipal - October 2024

sustaining a competitive economy as well. The county is home to three distinct higher education institutions, each contributing in its own way to the local talent pipeline. Gottke emphasizes how the diversity among these colleges creates unique opportunities without pitting them against one another. “Kenyon is a four-year liberal arts college with a national draw. Its focus is broad learning. Most of its graduates move into fields like nonprofit work, research, finance or go on to grad school,” he explains. outdated perceptions of manufacturing.“There’s still that stigma... but the reality is very different today,” Gottke notes, highlighting modern manufacturing’s meaningful work, clean environment and healthy wages. HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE INTEGRATION Knox County’s partnership between local colleges and workforce development efforts is vital to 244 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 10

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