December 15, 2025
New Lexington (New Lex) is transforming its educational and workforce development landscape through a $16.4 million workforce development training center, designed to expand career pathways and introduce public amenities to the community.
This initiative will align education initiatives with local economic needs through strategic partnerships and data-driven decision-making.
Driving Innovation Through Data and Collaboration
As Tiffany Piko, Community Outreach Partner at Future Plans, explains: “The New Lex training center will expand career pathways and introduce public amenities to New Lex city through partnerships with Genesis Healthcare and Perry County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The proposal for the grant to build the workforce development training center was guided by Future Plans’ data showing students’ interests and aptitudes, which directly aligned with the need to boost their Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways.”
“New Lex uses their data to inform program choices and class offerings. We work directly with guidance counselors to understand data dashboards to help them guide students in the right direction. We also work with local businesses that partner with New Lex to identify potential exposure gaps that could be addressed in their internships/experience programs. Genesis, for example, is looking to modify programs to include information on biotech research and health informatics after I showed them students at New Lex had the aptitude for the pathways but did not favor them as they might not know what those jobs look like.”
Morgan Holman, Administrator of Workforce Development at New Lex, reinforces the critical role of data in this transformation: “Without the exemplary data collected through the assessment and data breakdowns that the Future Plans team put together for us, we wouldn’t be able to navigate students into the appropriate pathways to make them successful. The data is vital for Appalachia not only in schools, but it’s critical for the partner businesses to better understand the exposure gaps they need to fill to ultimately drive a better employment model within their own space.”
The Power of Data
Future Plans’ data-driven approach is the backbone of New Lex’s success. By leveraging detailed student assessments and aptitude insights, the district can align educational offerings with workforce needs, guide students toward high-demand careers, and help businesses identify and close exposure gaps. This collaboration between education and industry ensures that Appalachia builds a sustainable talent pipeline, fostering economic growth and opportunity for generations to come.
A Model for Community-Driven Workforce Development
Through collaboration with guidance counselors, local businesses, and healthcare partners, New Lex is creating a dynamic ecosystem where education and employment intersect. This model demonstrates how data-informed strategies can drive meaningful change, offering students clear pathways to success while meeting the evolving needs of the regional economy.
More
For additional information regarding this initiative read:
Ohio Facilities Construction Commission
Appalachian Community Innovation Centers Grant Program https://ofcc.ohio.gov/grants/Appalachian-Community-Innovation-Centers-Grant/Appalachian-community-innovation-center-grant-program
Perry County Tribune
New partnership lets students start healthcare careers earlier https://www.perrytribune.com/article_d9172492-a423-11ee-8992-4f1465825d88.html#:~:text=NEW%20LEXINGTON%20%E2%80%94%20In%20partnership%20with,a%20way%20to%20address%20that
Times Recorder
Genesis HealthCare System and Zane State College form new partnership
https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/education/2025/09/09/genesis-and-zane-state-launch-new-health-care-programs-zanesville-ohio/85943163007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z11xx26p000350c000350d00—-v11xx26d–xx–b–xx–&gca-ft=125&gca-ds=sophi
FOX News
In Appalachia, one school district is proving public education still works
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/weingarten-coffey-appalachia-one-school-district-proving-public-education-still-works
