On Tuesday, John Kasich, the Governor of Ohio, announced the creation of a new state Office of Opportunities for New Americans. It will be an information hub to aid legal immigrants to connect to jobs, education, and solutions to practical problems, such as finding a doctor in the US.
Kasich says the office is a way for Ohio to welcome new immigrants as the population of the state is not increasing as fast as is the case elsewhere. Kasich adds that he wants to see more legal immigrants moving to Ohio and praised the economic and cultural contributions such people bring to their new communities. Kasich says legal immigrants often have higher education levels and different skill sets than residents, which assists with diversifying the state economy.
Immigrants who have trouble with English can navigate the new office’s website with the aid of Google Translate. The website currently provides information on jobs, training, education and how to develop a business. An advisory committee to deal with the immigrant communities in Ohio on the need for new immigrant arrivals will be appointed by Kasich, and the website will also be updated.
The office is in the Ohio Development Services Agency, the employees of which will be available to help immigrants when they need it. Kasich claims the new office will not cost the state much money as a great deal of the effort involved entails the promotion of existing local, federal and state government programs.