COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ohio To Work, the statewide collaborative effort to stem the tide of pandemic-related job losses, has soared above expectations and created an enduring workforce development infrastructure in metropolitan areas across the state, officials announced Thursday.

“The pandemic forced all of us to think in new and different ways to help improve the lives of Ohioans whose jobs were at risk because of the uncertainty of the pandemic’s effect on the economy,” said Governor Mike DeWine.

DeWine and leaders with JobsOhio recently recapped the overwhelming success of Ohio To Work, which was created to help people who lost their jobs in industries like restaurants and those who were at risk of displacement due to the COVID-19 environment.

“This bold investment in people was designed to reskill and upskill Ohio’s displaced workers and match them with employers who needed hard-working people to fill critical roles,” said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO. “Together, we laid a strong foundation to build a talent network across the state that will endure and bolster the success of our state’s resilient economy.”

The Ohio To Work campaign began in 2020 to rally partners from across the spectrum of workforce development, and upskilling and reskilling services. Ohio To Work brought together employers, training providers, and local workforce development organizations in five strategic markets: Cleveland, Columbus, Mahoning Valley, Toledo and Cincinnati-Dayton. Since then, these teams have smashed the campaign’s goals by connecting employers and job coaches and establishing local relationships for a lasting workforce development network.=

Key Success Metrics:

• 211,365 job seekers served (352% of goal)
• 19,192 job seekers enrolled in reskilling (383% of goal)
• 26,114 job seekers placed (186% of goal) 

Partners included:

• 200 employers
• 33 training providers
• 42 community organizations
• 85 job coaches 

Ohio To Work partners also aimed to support diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Underrepresented individuals included:

• 40% of total job seekers served
• 49% of total job seekers enrolled in reskilling
• 57% of total job seekers placed

Ohio To Work’s primary function as a pandemic-related effort technically wound down at the end of 2022, but the initiative continues to advance workforce development across the state through the local networks it helped establish. 

Examples

• Cleveland – Ohio Means Jobs Cuyahoga County and Urban League of Greater Cleveland worked together to create a first-of-its-kind app focused on skill development for job seekers.
• Mahoning Valley – The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber is leading sustainability efforts by establishing a regional workforce coalition for referrals and idea sharing.
• Toledo – Stakeholders started the Community Advisory Board to continue outreach to job seekers and connect them with employers.
• Cincinnati-Dayton – Partners united the five-county area of two major metropolitan markets to connect employers with job seekers from underrepresented communities.
• Columbus – Organizations strengthened the outreach to Spanish- and Somali-speaking communities to enable them to find opportunities with local employers. 

“We learned so much and gathered incredibly valuable insights that will live on to drive job creation in Ohio,” said Kristi Clouse, JobsOhio’s Senior Managing Director of Talent. “Everyone came together focused on the goals and created an enduring system to connect employers with Ohio’s talent-rich pool of skilled workers.”

For more information, click here for the Ohio To Work Impact Report.

About JobsOhio

JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention, and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership, and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.