The Skill Set

July 2025

Dispatch from the CEO:

Lessons from Beyond Northeast Ohio

Welcome to the first issue of Greater Cleveland Works' newsletter, The Skill Set. It's our intent to provide regular updates to workforce system partners on our work and the work happening broadly in our community to ensure people and businesses thrive. You are receiving this email because of your connection to our work. (If you do not want to receive future updates from us, you can opt out by clicking "Unsubscribe" at the bottom of this email.) I hope you'll share this newsletter with a colleague and encourage them to sign up here!

In the last month, I've had the pleasure of attending three conferences with national thought leaders on workforce and economic development. They shared their perspectives on our work “in these trying times” – the oft-used moniker for the political and funding environment we now find ourselves in. Here are three hopeful takeaways from the many conversations I listened to at the Jobs for the Future Horizons conference in New Orleans, the Special Competitive Studies Project AI+ Expo in Washington D.C., and the Federal Reserve Bank Policy Summit right here in Cleveland:

• The advantage of our being a nonprofit cannot be overstated. The conversations at these conferences made that abundantly clear. As we mark our one-year anniversary of becoming a nonprofit, we are better positioned to weather funding challenges and diversify our revenue beyond a single source. This means we can implement our core Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)-funded work more effectively while supporting even more job seekers and employers.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) will surely disrupt our workforce – in ways and on a timeline we don’t yet fully understand – but it can also strengthen our work. If we are intentional and proactive, AI can enable real benefits.
• “Don’t lose the plot.” This simple directive from TIAA President and CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett during the opening session of the Horizons conference has stayed with me since. Stay the course. Do the work. Don’t be distracted by noise. That’s the mantra we've adopted at Greater Cleveland Works. More to come!

I look forward to continuing to share what’s happening in our workforce world with you. Thanks for reading!

Michelle

Michelle Rose

Chief Executive Officer

Greater Cleveland Works

New Provider Contracts Represent Pursuit of Operational Excellence

Last week, we announced three new contracts for service delivery and operations of the OhioMeansJobs center for Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Built into these contracts are performance-based incentives centered on factors such as placement in full-time jobs that pay more than $20 an hour for adults and job seeker and employer satisfaction.

Check Out Our New Vlog!

Each month in "Working With," our CEO Michelle Rose sits down with a team member, board member, employer or community partner to learn more about their role, their goals and what inspires them. In this first vlog, Michelle chats with Marcus Harris, the new Director of Programs and Services at Greater Cleveland Works.

Rapid Response Hub for Public Servants

We continue to be available to support federal employees and other public servants whose jobs have been eliminated or are at risk of elimination. The OhioMeansJobs center’s rapid response services can offer connections to resources and new job opportunities so that our community continues to benefit from the expertise of these skilled professionals. Please refer any impacted workers to our website to fill out the inquiry form under Job Seekers.

Around Town: Built Environment Collaborative Director Wins Inaugural Award

Congrats to Renee Timberlake, Director of the Built Environment Collaborative, for winning the Bridge Builder award at the City of Cleveland Office of Equal Opportunity's first Community Impact Awards. It was great to see so many of our partners at the luncheon and be honored for the partnerships and connections fostered through this project.