The Skill Set

November 2025

Dispatch from the CEO

Building Our A+ Team Through Strength, Strategy, and Resilience

The Greater Cleveland Works staff recently participated in an energizing and affirming day-long retreat. It was a treat to spend uninterrupted time together as a fully-staffed team.

We spent the day reconnecting with our shared commitment to the Greater Cleveland Works mission. We evaluated our individual and composite strengths, connected those to our Strategic Plan, and reflected on the role of resilience in our work. With every discussion, activity, and idea, one theme stood out: We believe deeply in our work and in one another.

The retreat wasn't just productive — it was fun! The activities sparked laughter, creativity, and connection. It's clear our team brings a diverse set of talents, perspectives, and experiences to our work, positioning us to move into the next chapter with momentum and confidence.

As we head into the holidays, I'm grateful for this team, our board, and the constellation of partners who share the vision of an equitable, vibrant Greater Cleveland where people from all backgrounds have quality jobs and careers with thriving employers. Special thanks to the Parma-Snow Library, the Innovation Center staff, and Greater Cleveland Works board member Pam Jankowski for hosting us!

Thanks for reading!

Michelle Rose

Chief Executive Officer

Greater Cleveland Works

Honoring Our Veterans

November is Hire a Veteran Month

Ohio is home to nearly 700,000 veterans and military service members, the 6th largest veteran population in the United States. November is Hire a Veteran Month. Check out the OhioMeansJobs Hire a Veteran page for information on hiring veterans and other employer resources.

Recognition

Systems Change Champion Award Finalist

We're pleased to have been a finalist for this year's Deborah Vesy Systems Change Champion Award from the Deaconess Foundation. Congratulations to winner Towards Employment and fellow finalist Greater Cleveland Career Consortium. Together, we're changing how workforce development is done in our community!

Working With ...

Omega Parker

In this month's Working With video, we sit down with our own Omega Parker, Community Workforce Experience Navigator for OhioMeansJobs Cleveland-Cuyahoga. Parker is located at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank Community Resource Center, providing critical job and career support to those who walk through the Food Bank's doors. Learn more about her work and what inspires her!

In the News

Pay Transparency Law Goes Into Effect

Cleveland's pay transparency law, among the most protective in the state, went into effect on October 27. The law requires employers in the city of Cleveland with 15 or more employees to include salary ranges on all posted job descriptions and bans employers from asking for salary history during the hiring process. In a recent op-ed on Cleveland.com, CEO Michelle Rose said everyone has a role to play in ensuring the law works as intended. "For the pay transparency law to have an impact, people must be made aware that it exists," Rose wrote.

Around Town

State of the County

Last month, we attended Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne's State of the County address at the Huntington Convention Center. We're encouraged by his commitment to workers and employers and making Cuyahoga County a great place to live.