Ohio's state-operated/state-supported job training and work force development programs were reviewed in response to a legislative mandate calling for development of a plan for administrative consolidation of those programs under the control of a single state agency. The review included examination of the following: history of federal and Ohio job training and work force development initiatives; state-level administrative reform efforts; status of federal work force training reform legislation; and efforts to consolidate or coordinate job training and education in Washington, New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, Michigan, and Illinois. It was noted that, although a Governor's Human Resources Investment Council's task force recommended consolidating all work force development programs into a single state agency, it did not indicate how such consolidation would occur. It was concluded that Ohio's heavy dependence on federal mandates/funding has hindered reform efforts. The review of reform efforts in other states established that, to varying degrees, all six states used the following principles to consolidate/coordinate their work force readiness programs: state and local employment and training boards, coordinated funding, one-stop shopping, case management, and labor market information. (Appended is a chart summarizing statutory job training and work force development programs in Ohio. Contains 186 footnotes.) (MN)