Latest news with #ColumbusAccesstoResourcesforExpandingEmploymentReadiness
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Columbus looks to improve the careers for 500 residents
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Multiple organizations were awarded a grant Monday by the Columbus City Council under the Columbus Access to Resources for Expanding Employment Readiness program, or CAREER 500. CAREER 500 is aimed at increasing the city's workforce development programs to help residents train in skills needed in central Ohio. Columbus leaders recognized a gap between the number of career opportunities and the number of people trained to do those jobs. The CAREER 500 initiative could be the solution. Columbus City Council President Pro Tempore Rob Dorans spearheaded the effort, hoping to strengthen the city's workforce. 'We have jobs, we just don't have the people trained to do them,' Dorans said. 'At the same time, we know friends or family that live paycheck to paycheck. It seems let's make an investment in people to make sure they're trained for the jobs that exist today and into the future.' Seven programs were selected to be awarded up to $350,000. Those programs include Riverview International Center which helps immigrants and new Americans learn the skills necessary to get jobs. Riverview Executive Director Emelia Sheeley said the organization is using the grant money to hire more staff and make the workforce development program bigger. 'Our population in central Ohio is really growing thanks to immigrants and refugees,' Sheeley said. 'To be able to ensure that going ahead for the next couple of years, we have the funds to help people get jobs is just huge.' Franklinton Rising also received the CAREER 500 grant. The nonprofit helps young people learn life skills to enter the central Ohio workforce for the first time. They learn about construction trades through restoring and building new homes in inner city neighborhoods. Franklinton Rising President Tom Heffner said those homes are then rented to low-income people in need. 'Being an employee and working and earning a great wage is foreign to many, many, many young adults that are in this age group, so we're doing a lot of life skills teaching as well as teaching job skills,' Heffner said. Dorans said CAREER 500 grants will allow more people to access life-changing workforce development programs, giving them the chance to get good wages, quality health care benefits and retirement plans. 'Especially when you have such a low unemployment rate historically for Columbus, we really need to be focusing on folks that just with a little bit of extra help and training they are going to be able to move up,' Dorans said. The goal of CAREER 500 is to help 500 central Ohio residents over the next two years with the grant program. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Columbus awards $1.8M in grants to help 500 'underemployed' residents access job training
Columbus' unemployment rate is low, but too many residents are trapped in low-paying jobs and lack the resources to climb a better career ladder, says Columbus City Council President Pro Tempore Rob Dorans. "We know that we have too many friends, neighbors and family members that live paycheck to paycheck," Dorans said. He calls these workers "underemployed." Meanwhile, local employers need skilled workers. That's why Dorans and Aspyr, formerly called the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio, are launching CAREER 500 (Columbus Access to Resources for Expanding Employment Readiness). The program intends to help at least 500 residents access job training in the next two years. Dorans and Aspyr announced $1.8 million in grants for seven local organizations on Monday. The money will help existing job training programs in Columbus expand to serve more people and/or break down barriers to getting training, like assisting participants with child care or transportation. Columbus City Council approved the funding in October and Aspyr vetted grant applications. 'CAREER 500 is not about just helping a person get a job, any job. This program is designed to connect residents with careers with good wages, quality health care benefits and retirement plans,' Dorans said. For example, Goodwill Columbus will use its grant to expand its certified nursing assistant training, a five-week course, to train more people. Participants also receive services like help with transportation and job placement services. The four major health systems in Columbus employ 84,000 individuals, but there are 7,000 unfilled positions, said Goodwill Columbus President and CEO Ryan Burgess. "My humble belief is that having a good job, a good career, there is no greater sense of self dignity," Burgess said. CAREER 500 will also partner with the Ohio State Center on Education and Training for Employment to track outcomes. "The idea of making this investment and then evaluating it and helping to share best practices really is new," Aspyr CEO Lisa Patt McDaniel said. The following local organizations received grants: Goodwill Columbus - $350,000 National Center for Urban Solutions Columbus - $320,000 Jewish Family Services - $300,000 Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services - $280,000 Youth Over Us - $200,000 Franklinton Rising - $200,000 Riverview International - $150,000 jlaird@ @LairdWrites This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus launches CAREER 500 to fund job training for more residents
