Timely workforce thoughts and actions that advance Towards Employment’s Policy Action Plan – to promote economic mobility, especially for those most impacted by systemic racism, through education and advocacy for a more equitable workforce system where everyone has access to family sustaining wages and quality jobs.

Currently in committee meetings, Senate Bill 37 has important implications for Ohio’s workforce and for many people working on career pathways at Towards Employment. We are reaching out to people impacted by the loss of a driver’s license, and to organizations interested in signing a joint letter of support for SB37.


Have a license story, email greaves@towardsemployment.org.



Want your organization to sign a joint letter of support, email jrizika@towardsemployment.org

In Ohio, one million drivers currently have suspended driver’s licenses. Approximately 60 percent of these suspensions are the result of debt-related and other issues rather than dangerous driving. A person’s ability to pay a fine or a fee should not determine whether they are free to drive.


Substitute Senate Bill 37, sponsored by Senator Louis Blessing, III (R-Colerain Twp) and Senator Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati) eliminates and revises Ohio policies to remove financial barriers to returning to the road in Ohio. With the passage of this legislation, Ohio would join more than 20 other states that have already moved away from these debt-related penalties.


A valid driver’s license is essential to participating in Ohio’s economy and earning the money necessary to resolve existing debt.


Your support is critical and time bound – testimonials and support must be submitted before December 6.

Find actions & information on SB37 here.

Did you know 70 million US workers do not have a bachelor’s degree?

It’s hard to find someone willing to argue a surgeon does not need a college degree. But do all open jobs in northeast Ohio asking for a degree really require one? 


You know about the “glass ceiling” – but do you know about the “paper ceiling”?

The concept of requiring degrees create barriers for workers. At all turns workers without a degree face an invisible barrier – a paper ceiling. National organizations like Opportunity@Work are fighting to make sure that workers skilled through alternative routes (STARs) have a voice. 

YOU can get involved with this work:


Impacted Individuals or STARs: Tell your story or check out these resources.

 

Towards Employment Alumni: Share your story with Greg Reaves (Alumni Engagement Coordinator) at greaves@towardsemployment.org

 

Employers/HR Representatives: Ask your hiring team, do our job descriptions accurately represent the talent skills required to complete the job? Here are some resources.

 

Elected Officials: Investigate if your hiring guidelines to ensure barriers are removed for talented candidates are also used for jobs at every level. Also, extend this investigation to vendor relationships. Is the vendor hiring practice aligned with those of your jurisdiction?

 

Allies: Learn more. Discuss often. Grab coffee with the people in your network. Lift your voice to keep the conversation going. Sign the pledge to reduce academic barriers.


Dr. LaShon Sawyer is Director, Policy & Advocacy at Towards Employment.

Read the full article

Every quarter, Brian Balogh - TE Policy Fellow and retired professor and award-winning cohost of a public radio show - interviews TE graduates and staff about interesting workforce topics. Brian combines written text, live words, his research, and community resources in simple stories for workforce friends and supporters to share.

Quarter 3: Second Sentence

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A recent New York Times article delved into a devastating fact: over 60 percent of those leaving prison in the United States are unemployed a year later. While prejudice against returning citizens is hardly a thing of the past, recent polling suggests that the majority of Americans believe that people who have been convicted of crimes deserve a second chance.1


A major reason for the disconnect between the facts on the ground and public opinion is something that experts who work with reentering citizens call “collateral consequences.” These are the legally imposed barriers that those who have served their time face, hurdles that I have come to view as a second sentence.

Read the full blogcast

Next up for Quarter 4: Expungement

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On April 4, 2023, Ohio Senate Bill 288 went into effect which expands the eligibility for expunging or sealing criminal records and shortens waiting periods for filing a petition with the court.

Pre-read: Expungement

Eligible for an expungement based on SB288?

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info@towardsemployment.org

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