Tri-C President: A Workforce in Progress
Michael A. Baston discusses developing employees who are ready for the future in 'Smart Business Magazine'
What is true in the present isn't necessarily true for the future. Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) President Michael A. Baston, J.D., Ed.D., relates that phrase to thinking "outside the box."
In his most recent column for Smart Business Magazine, Baston writes about developing employees who are ready to face the future.
"If necessity is the mother of invention, a forward-thinking mindset is the mother of innovation," Baston said.
Baston cautions that if employers don't train their employees in the latest technology and emerging trends — which expand their skill sets — the companies risk falling behind the competition.
He pointed to the manufacturing sector — one of the most critical industries in Northeast Ohio — as a perfect example. Jobs that were done by hand or with relatively simple mechanical assistance a few decades ago are now completely automated. Manual labor has been replaced with a need for technology specialists who can operate computers and robots on the shop floor.
Baston also explained that workforce education partners for employee training, such as Tri-C, must be equally committed to innovation and updating their curricula.
"Innovation in workforce training is essential to keep your business evolving and thriving, and, on a larger scale, it's essential for the continued development of the entire regional economy," he said.
Baston shared examples of Tri-C's forward-thinking mindset around workforce training:
- Earlier this year, the College relaunched its former Workforce, Community and Economic Development (WCED) division as the Workforce Innovation division. The new title reflects the College's work to answer the need for innovative workforce training, meeting the needs of its students and the corporate partners who rely on Tri-C to provide them with talented, prepared graduates.
- In Summer 2025, Tri-C reorganized the Workforce Innovation division into five academies focused on advanced manufacturing, construction, health care, public safety and transportation. This new structure will allow the College to align course offerings into pathways so students can progress more quickly toward degrees and certificates.
- Tri-C expanded its program offerings, including its very first bachelor's degree program — a Bachelor of Applied Science in Integrated Digital Manufacturing Engineering Technology.
- The College has launched the Center for the Future of Work, which will further expand workforce training reach through research, skills development for faculty and students, policy-shaping and other forms of workforce advocacy.
"Whether you seek out a training partner like Tri-C or train employees in-house, the need for innovation and forward-thinking remains the same," Baston said. "Don't assume that today's reality will be the same as tomorrow's."
Read the entire column at sbonline.com.
Baston is a regular contributing author for Smart Business Magazine. Read his most recent columns:
- Plan ahead or be left behind (May 2025)
- Empowering your people is about more than just opening doors (February 2025)
- Nobody has a crystal ball, but you can still anticipate what's coming and prepare for it (November 2024)
- Standing still equals falling behind, no matter how big your business (July 2024)
- Podcasts are a great way to reach a large audience — if you use them properly (May 2024)
August 07, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT: Anthony Moujaes, 216-987-3068 or anthony.moujaes@tri-c.edu