Second Annual Queen City Veterans' Job Fair



Sustainable Wage Jobs Found at OhioMeansJobs Cincinnati-Hamilton County!

Over the past few months OhioMeansJobs Cincinnati-Hamilton County Business Services staff members have been hard at work recruiting employers and coordinating the “Second Annual Queen City Veterans’ Job Fair” held on November 6th. Teaming up with State team members, 20 employers were on hand to welcome Veterans, their families and other job seekers. Positions offered were everything from entry level to very specialized, professional jobs.

G4S Job Offer on the Spot!

Several jobs were offered on the spot! Ryan Richter, the G4S recruiter, was so impressed with one of the Veterans that he offered him a security position making $24/hour that day. 

A diverse group of employers participated:

New & long time employer partners alike greatly appreciated the event!

Mary Stauffer, HR/Senior Recruiter for Talbert House had this to say: (We) “appreciated the excellent service from staff and professionalism of applicants”.

Sarah Hartloff, Recruiter for the Castellini Group of Companies, offered these comments: “Always love coming to OMJ. The staff people are great! Thank you for always doing such a great job.”

Allen Kroth, Talent Sourcing & Training Manager for Enerfab mentioned that the staff “were very helpful, responsive and good at educating me about the variety of services (OMJ) offers.

Homeless Veteran Successes

Left to Right:  Timothy Smith (VSAW Graduate); John Ferrell (VSAW Graduate); Elizabeth Appelman (VSAW Instructor - Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist VA); Ralph Shank (VSAW Graduate); Julia Camarda (Account Executive, Office of Workforce Development); Kenneth Waites (VSAW Graduate); Patrick Robinson VSAW Graduate); Travis Dugan (VSAW Graduate); Sabrina Blake (DVOP); David Burris (VSAW Graduate); Mathew Coope r (VSAW Instructor - Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist VA )

On Nov 20 ^th , 2019 we graduated the Cincinnati VA Medical Center’s 2 ^nd Veteran School at Work (VSAW) group which started on Oct 1, 2019. VSAW has prepared Veterans participating in homeless programs to become more competitive for employment, leading them to achieve job success and regain their independence. The goal of this program is to produce successful employment outcomes for Veterans.

Since 2004, Catalyst Learning Company (CLC) has appreciated a close working relationship with many Veterans Health Administration (VHA) customers. Over 2100 employees in 95 VA Medical Centers have used School at Work to provide advancement opportunity to GS 1-5 and Wage Grade employees. School at Work (SAW) has long been applied in VAMCs to fill the skills gap that holds entry-level employees back from job advancements and continuing education opportunities. By combining robust development of life management skills, reading, writing, grammar, math and career planning, SAW creates more confident and capable employees.

VSAW for Veterans was piloted in 2012 at the Phoenix VA Health Care System under the leadership of Daniel Blackman, now the Designated Learning Officer. Since that time, there have been 6 cohorts in Phoenix with forty-nine (49) Veterans successfully completing the program. Many of those graduates are now employed in a variety of positions including Food Service, Housekeeping, MSA, Electronics Field Technician and Forest Service personnel. Some also have returned to school to pursue a degree.  Cincinnati’s pilot class for VSAW in 2018 produced 4 graduates, 3 are working full time, 1 is actively seeking new employment after leaving last employer, and 1 employed at the VA Hospital in Food Service – and has used this position and federal experience to seek out and obtain a GS7 position with the USDA. Successful completion of the course allows homeless Veterans to point to an achievement, demonstrate reliability and commitment and have a better chance of success in job placements.

To improve upon the success of this year’s VSAW class, laptop computers were provided to each of the graduates thanks to funding provided by the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA). These laptops will allow this year’s class the ability to conduct job search related activities, maintain their improved computer competence; and communicate with employers

  

Congratulations to the trainers, coaches and OMJ Staff for their collaboration and even more congrats to the Veterans for their achievements.

At this event, the Veterans Affairs (VA) team of the Cincinnati VA Medical Center expressed appreciation to the OhioMeansJobs Team members for their support with the 2019 Veteran School at Work Class.   

Veteran Selects Tech Elevator for IT Training

We owe a debt of gratitude to Army Veteran Steven Marshall for his service in Iraq and Afghanistan—and his continuing contribution to the Southwest Ohio region. After his service, Ohio native earned a geology degree from Miami University and worked in administration for the Army Reserves, coordinating pay, logistics, and operations for his assigned units. And when Marshall recognized what he describes as “… a burgeoning need for software development professionals,” he began to engineer a brighter future for himself and his family here in the Tristate.

Steven was right on the money. Cloud computing, collection and storage of big data and information security has outstripped the IT talent supply across the country and here in Cincinnati. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of computer and information technology occupations is expected to add approximately 500,000 new jobs between now and 2028, a 12% growth rate that’s higher than the average for all other occupations. All of this translates to the fact that opportunities for education and ultimate employment in the IT field are no longer tied to the attainment of four- or even two-year degrees.

When Tech Elevator, a 14-week coding boot camp whose Ohio locations include Cleveland and Columbus, opened an office in Cincinnati, Steven made the call. “The growth of the technology sector here in Southwest Ohio – and the lack of demand for geologists – guided my decision,” offers Steven. He continues, “I wanted to stay in the region because this is ‘home’ for us.”

At $15,000, the Tech Elevator up-front investment was steep, but as Steven says, “I knew the skills were in demand, and that the training would pay off in terms of both salary and a fulfilling career.” And it did: upon graduation, he landed a job with Ball Aerospace as a software engineer, along with a 44% increase in his annual salary.

He adds, “Software development is a great career choice. You get to puzzle through opportunities to create solutions. There’s big demand for IT professionals, and the work I’m doing helps our Air Force, so there’s a service component for me as well.”

Whether you’re a Veteran or just considering a career in IT, contact the OhioMeansJobs Center at 513.946.7200 or visit https://www.omj-cinham.org/ to learn more available options.

In June of this year, Mardia Shands, Executive Director of Partners for A Competitive Workforce asked President Marshall to join her in a meeting with key leaders of Belcan, a global supplier of engineering, supply chain, technical recruiting and IT services to customers in the aerospace, defense, automotive, industrial and government sectors with a growing operation located in Blue Ash. We met with the Vice President on site, Kurt Hansen, HR Representatives Kathy Hollenbeck and Jenn Butler and Michael Caldwell, Section Leader, Support Equipment Engineering. After further exploration of the company and their workforce and mission interests, President Marshall suggested conducting a wider information session at Belcan, with additional attendees from Belcan and workforce representatives invited by Marshall to learn about Belcan and their diversity and inclusion focus for entry-level hiring. The Meet Belcan event was held at Belcan on Monday, November 18 ^th , with a full room of organizational representatives serving returning citizens, opportunity youth, veterans, people with disabilities, Job Corp students and OMJ representatives. As a result of the enjoyable and informative session, Belcan will share position openings in the near future and work with representatives as they encourage their customers to pursue employment at Belcan. 

Celebrating 100 Years of #BreakthroughMoments

In traditional form, the noisemakers were out and loud in celebration of 100 Years of Easterseals’ history and another year of amazing award winners. The Easterseals Brighter Futures Celebration was held at the Jack Casino, the largest attendance of supporters ever.

 

The Honorees were:

* Juan Pacheco : A Marine veteran and Clifton resident who lost his job and home nearly overnight – through no fault of his own. Easterseals Military & Veteran Services worked closely with Juan to secure housing, reliable transportation and stable employment through United Way of Greater Cincinnati. Juan is completing training for a new career in information technology and computer networking.

* Yalonda Render : A mother of two who left an abusive relationship and restarted her life in Cincinnati. She had to turn to public assistance to care for her children. Through Easterseals Prosperity for All program, she was able to launch a new career as part of the Cincinnati Children’s phlebotomy team.

* Nathan Tshiboyi : Born in Belgium, Nathan wasn’t developing at the same rate as his peers. They were even told he wasn’t a good fit for his school because of his disability. It wasn’t until moving to America that his parents received a diagnosis for Nathan: autism. Through Easterseals programs in Butler County that include Project SEARCH, Work & Grow and employment services, Nathan’s parents started seeing dramatic changes in his communication, behavior and employment skills. Today, Nathan works as a valued member of the assembly team at Tennant Packaging Corporation.

* The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. / US Bank Foundation , which has created economic opportunity in Greater Cincinnati through their investment in Easterseals workforce development programs. The foundation supported a significant expansion of Building Value, which provides construction training in partnership with Messer Construction and Cincinnati Children’s. The Haile Foundation was also a founding investor in Easterseals Military & Veteran Services to address unemployment, homelessness and disability among Greater Cincinnati’s veteran population.

 

Easterseals was founded by Edgar Allen as the Ohio Society for Crippled Children in Elyria, Ohio to advocate for children with disabilities. The organization successfully lobbied for the passage of the Ohio Plan in 1921, which became the first state appropriation in American history dedicated exclusively to the care of people with disabilities. By 1930, every state had passed legislation modeled after the Ohio Plan. The origins of Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati are traced back to Jewish Vocational Services in 1940, which provided vocational resources to Jewish refugees and people living with disabilities. In 1972, a group of Cincinnati parents formed with Work Resource Center to create employment opportunities for people living with disabilities. Work Resource Center became an Easterseals affiliate in 2006 and merged with Jewish Vocational Services in 2012. Today, Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati provides employment resources to people living with disabilities, people facing economic disadvantages, and veterans and military families. More than 7,000 people living in the Tri-state area were served by Easterseals in 2018.

Click Here to read the history of this great organization in the attached event program. 

Lighthouse 50th Anniversary

Lighthouse Youth Services celebrated their 50th Anniversary serving youth and families on Saturday, November 9th. The "back lots" of the LYS primary facility on McMillan Avenue were full of food, dancing, fun and remembrance of all that LYS has accomplished and become for Greater Cincinnati.  President Marshall was in line behind Bob Mecum and others for the "crepe truck" offerings and teased Mecum about her 1975 "group interview" wherein she was the only Bachelor Degreed Psychology graduate and up against a myriad of PhD's and Social Workers. Needless to say, Marshall (then Sherry Lynne Kelley) didn't win the job for third-shift Runaway Shelter Director, but Mecum did later invite her to serve on the Lighthouse Board and consult for organizational changes and board training. It was a wonderful, sunny, fun-filled outdoor party for a great organization - and 50 years is awesome!!

Thank You for Your Service

to the SWORWIB Board

SWORWIB Board Chair Alicia Tidwell and Stephanie Summerow Dumas, Board Member and Hamilton County Commissioner, joined in appreciation of the SWORWIB Board members completing their terms at the November 14, 2019 Quarterly Board Meeting. President Marshall was emotional with this group sharing unique contributions and supports and participation in programs by these leaders as each was awarded the SWORWIB heavy glass paperweight memento. 

Left to Right:  Charles Wright (2011-2019) , United Way; Shawn Harter (2014-2019) , Fifth Third Bank; April Gillespie-Hurst (2013-2019) , Legal Shield; Alan Bensman (2018-2019) , ThermoFisher Science; Alicia Tidwell (2014-2019, Chair 2018-2019) , Genesis One Consulting.

We thank current board member Stephanie Summerow Dumas , Hamilton County Commissioner for supporting our completers as an elected dignitary both as a Board Member and on behalf of Hamilton County. Not pictured:  Jonathan Allen , Formerly of U.S. Bank now Fidelity; Karen Arnold , David J. Joseph Company; US Army Reserves Captain  Shirley May , VA Hospital; Sharahn Monk , WorldPay; Eric Riddick , PrideStaff; André Williams , GoNoodle.

Manufacturing Day October 2019

National Manufacturing Day is a coordinated effort across the nation to show parents, students and educators what modern manufacturing is today. And nowhere in the country are there more Manufacturing Day events scheduled then here in the Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana. In fact, according to Debby Combs, Director of Industry Partnerships for Partners for A Competitive Workforce (PCW), the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Region lead the nation in manufacturing day events with 67 scheduled in the month of October, impacting over 5000 students in the region.

For the month of October, employer supported events were designed to inspire the next generation and show off the highly skilled jobs available in this region. Students participated in company tours and gained real work experience through hands-on activities developed to provide them with an understanding of the various jobs in advanced manufacturing.

“There is an increasing demand for highly skilled professionals in the manufacturing sector who can design, program and operate technology,” said Debby Combs and also noted, “The average age of a manufacturing employee is 56. Between now and the next few years there will be an unprecedented shortage of skilled workers who will need to be replaced.”

The Advanced Manufacturing Industry Partnership (AMIP), which is coordinating national manufacturing Day events in our region, is an employers led collaboration of over 300 members working to open young achievers’ minds to the lucrative job opportunities and alternative to college debt available through manufacturing careers. Congratulations to AMIP for their collective grand success at reaching young people in 2019.

Kroger & Givaudan Partner with

SWORWIB and NIMS

The SWORWIB’s last round of instruction for Journeyed Professional On-the-Job Trainers includes designated trainers for the Kroger State Street manufacturing plant and also for Givaudan Manufacturing (flavours and fragrances). These individuals will be deployed across three shifts to support the apprentices who will be coached by these certified journeyed professionals and authorized to verify dedicated training hours.

Special kudos to Allison DeGraff who won a SuperAward for her leadership at Patheon when she partnered with the SWORWIB and TechSolve to assess a large number of Patheon packaging workers in preparation for apprenticeship training using the National Career Readiness Credential. Allison took another job at Givaudan. Patheon changed to Thermo Fisher Scientific and graduated six very diverse and inclusive apprentices from the packaging group. Now Allison is overseeing other approaches to training the incumbent workforce for Givaudan in Cincinnati.

The Kroger Apprentices are the last apprenticeship program that the SWORWIB will manage as part of its commitment to the Midwest Urban Strategies Consortium. 

Standing left to right:   Allison DeGraff , HR at Givaudan; Sherry Kelley Marshall , SWORWIB executive, and Jim Maley , Improvement Outfitter and Purdue engineering faculty. Around the table :  Left to right:   Cherinee Donaldson , Kroger; Justin Evans , Givaudan; Harry Cavenly , Givaudan; Nolan Reichkitzer , Kroger; Tim Gibson , Kroger; Ric King , Givaudan. 

Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates (JCG)

in Initiation and Installation Ceremonies



The Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates Program has completed the Initiation and Installation ceremonies for each program for the 2019-2020 school year. The Initiation and Installation ceremony is an annual event where all members are initiated into the Cincinnati Career Association and newly elected Chapter Officers are installed.  The staff and students worked hard to ensure successful events. The events were well attended by students, parents, faculty, staff and guests. There were a number of guest speakers at each event that included school and community leaders and former JCG students to inspire and encourage our youth. The I&I ceremonies were held at the following schools: Aiken New Tech, North College High, Oyler, Shroder Paideia, Taft, Western Hills University, Winton Woods, Withrow and Woodward Career Technical. The JCG Middle School programs at Hughes STEM, Riverview East Academy, Shroder Paideia, Withrow University and Woodward Career Technical each held a Fall Event, a parent / student reception, to introduce the JCG Career Specialist and to learn more about the goals of the JCG Middle School program.

Western Hills University High School’s I&I keynote speaker was Whitney Hollingsworth, JCG Class of 2012; Class Valedictorian, JCG Career Association Chapter President and Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates State Public Speaking winner. Whitney attended the University of Cincinnati where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology – Software Application Development with a minor in Communication. She currently works for Cincinnati Bell as a Digital Marketing Manager and Web Developer. Whitney told the JCG students that she is living proof that no dream is too big nor challenge too great if you surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and consistently work hard. Whitney also opened up a QNA session to give JCG students the chance to ask about her career, school, leadership roles and barriers she has overcome to get where she is today. Whitney was involved with Cincinnati Bell BOLD Employee Resource Group’s school supply drive this year and has appeared in a promotional commercial for Cincinnati Bell.  

JCG Leadership Development Conference

The Jobs for Cincinnati’s Graduates Program held its 38 ^th Annual Leadership Development Conference (LDC) on Saturday, November 2, 2019 at North College Hill High School. Judith Moore Tucker, CYC Director of Educational Services, welcomed and encouraged everyone to take advantage of all the Leadership Development activities throughout the day. The Annual LDC brings together all of the newly elected Chapter Officers from all JCG schools to strategize and develop activities for their respective schools. Each youth participated in Leadership Workshops, elected citywide Career Association Officers and developed a Plan of Work for each of the Cincinnati Career Association’s five goals: Leadership Development, Career Preparation, Civic Awareness, Social Awareness & Community/Service Learning.  The following City-Wide Officers were elected during the LDC:

President: Gloria Stanford , Taft Information Technology

VP Communication/Historian: Jada Favors , Aiken New Tech

VP Treasurer: Montez Ford , Shroder Paideia

VP Leadership Development:  Kh’Lya Hampton , Woodward Career Technical

VP Civic/Community Affairs: Keniah McCants , Taft & Kameron Turner , Western Hills

VP Career Preparation:  Janah Thomas , Woodward Career Technical

VP Community/Service Learning:  Michael Simmons , Aiken New Tech

VP Group/Social Recreation:  Portia Webber , Western Hills University

The keynote speaker for the day was Terence Daniels, JCG Class of 2008 who spoke about teamwork, leadership, dedication, commitment and community and how the skills he learned and the opportunities made available to him through JCG helped him to become a leader. Terence is the Sr eComm Relationship Manager at Worldpay, a member of the National Guard, Cincinnati Youth Coalition (CYC) Young Professional Board Member and recognized as the 2017 National Big Brother from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

JCG Philanthropy Award

On November 7th, CYC’s Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates program was honored with the 2019 Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award at the National Philanthropy Day event held at Music Hall. At the event, 2019 Western Hills University JCG student, Diamond Daniels accepted the award on behalf of JCG and shared, “Jobs for Cincinnati graduates taught me why community service is so valuable. It felt good to do the right thing for the right cause.”

During the 2019-2020 school year alone, JCG performed over 13,000 hours of volunteer and community service. Some of the organizations that JCG programs supported are: Magnified Giving, Bethany House, Hoxworth Blood Center, Susan G. Koman for the Cure, Youth at the Booth, Ronald McDonald House and Freestore Foodbank. Community Service and Service Learning is an integral part of the Jobs for America’s Graduates program model. JCG youth believe they can make a difference and believe that when people come together, their joint output is greater than the sum of its parts.

CYC would like to thank Bethany House Services, Be the Match and Hoxworth Blood Center for nominating JCG for this award! We also want to thank the Association of Fundraising Professionals for this recognition!

Link to AFP National Philanthropy Day videos:  https://cycyouth.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/Evw7FPCnQB1EuGzo_8wc3jMBwpbNt0Weg2Zbf8kkCLP7KQ?e=ZRlZIN

Director Hall visits Cincinnati

Left to Right:  Laurence F. Jones III , President, RiskVersity and the rising Chair of the SWORWIB for 2020; Alicia Tidwell , President/CEO of Genesis One Consulting and completing SWORWIB Chair through 2019, Kimberly Hall , ODJFS Director and Sherry Kelley Marshall , SWORWIB President/CEO. 

Kimberly Hall is the newest director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), a $3.3 billion agency with approximately 2,300 employees. ODJFS is responsible for supervising the state's public assistance, workforce development, unemployment insurance, child and adult protective services, adoption, child care and child support programs. Hall was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this year. She previously was senior vice president of administration and general counsel at Columbus State Community College. Hall joined Columbus State in 2012 and provided executive guidance on college policy, administration and strategic initiatives.

Her leadership portfolio included supervision of the Legal Office, Human Resources Department, Equity and Compliance Office, Police Department, Facilities Management Division and the Shared Governance Office. She also served as liaison to the Board of Trustees for the development and implementation of board policy. A Columbus native, Hall is the founder and president of the Olive Tree Foundation for Girls, a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring, enrichment programs and scholarships for young women attending the Columbus School for Girls. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in New York City and a juris doctorate from Fordham University School of Law.

 

Director Hall has been visiting Workforce Boards and JFS Departments throughout the State to learn more about each local area and to discuss what’s working best in service delivery and what other things could ODJFS improve or do differently to better assist system growth and performance success. 

Hamilton County Re-Entry

 

Trina Jackson, Director of the Hamilton County Re-Entry Program, joined Sherry Kelley Marshall, SWORWIB President & CEO for this program to discuss the impact of the tight labor market on employers’ expanding willingness to interview and hire returning citizens. Discover the various programs and services provided by the Hamilton County Re-Entry Program and the OhioMeansJobs Center overseen by the SWORWIB, as well as statistics about justice-involved individuals in the region and statewide. Trina and Sherry elaborated on the importance of re-entry partnerships and shared thoughts on changes that could further improve outcomes for returning citizens.

Click on the images for more information

Click on the image for more information

How to get involved

Partner with us

JA Inspire is made possible due to support from corporate and community organizations that believe in the importance of inspiring young people to own their economic success. Sponsors will benefit from association with this important mission through recognition in our advance promotional materials and signage throughout the event. Sponsors that wish to exhibit as employers will have prime visibility at the expo. Several sponsorship levels will be available

ranging from $1,200 to $20,000.

Exhibit at our event

We are looking for at least 50 employers excited to bring an interactive example of their work to our expo and engage with their future workforce. Exhibitors will have access to 4,000 young people who are actively planning their futures. Exhibitor fees can be found by clicking on the registration button below. Special pricing will be available for small companies and nonprofit organizations.

BOOTH REGISTRATION

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Laura Randall-Tepe | VP of Strategic Partnerships

513.346.7100 x 103 | [email protected]

Click on the image for more information

Contact: Sherry Kelley Marshall

President & CEO

[email protected]