Announcement | Pexels by Markus Winkler
Announcement | Pexels by Markus Winkler
The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, in partnership with a three-county coalition, is pleased to announce it has received a $225,000 Appalachian Technical Assistance Grant through the Ohio Appalachian Community Grant Program for its workforce development planning project. The project aims to build a system and supporting infrastructure to align the regional workforce ecosystem, which is critical for maintaining a healthy economy in Ohio and the Appalachian region.
OhioMeansJobs.com posted 305,415 job openings in November 2022, up by more than 57,000 from the same period a year ago. With significant investments being made in the EV and adjacent industries in the region, it is imperative that organizations whose missions are to educate, train and recruit a talent pipeline are working efficiently and in harmony.
The region comprising Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties is fortunate to have several organizations whose missions help individuals find meaningful education and careers. However, these organizations often operate in silos, creating competition for funds, clients, employer engagement and students seeking services.
Recognizing the need for collaboration, the State of Ohio allocated seed funds to Youngstown State University to partner with the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber to form a workforce coalition in March 2022. The coalition, which includes more than 20 members across three counties, has identified attracting, developing and retaining workforce as the largest collective challenge.
Through working groups and workshops, the coalition has developed a list of goals to ensure the Valley's economy is successful in gaining and retaining the talent pipeline. The goals fall into several categories, including strategic alignment, efficient private-industry partnerships, accountability, integration of wrap-around services and marketing opportunities on a large scale.
Melissa Maiorano, the Chamber's director of Workforce Development, has been working diligently to spur collaboration among the workforce ecosystem in the Valley. With the successful funding of the project, technical assistance from state procured planners will be provided to accelerate the efforts of the workforce coalition.
“We are most grateful to our members and partners who instilled trust in us to facilitate this project for the region. We could not have done it without the investment of Youngstown State University, the continued support of Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and the workforce agencies that will be involved throughout,” she said.
For more information on the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and workforce development planning project, visit regionalchamber.com or contact Melissa Maiorano at 330-744-2131, ext. 1220, or melissa@regionalchamber.com.
Original source can be found here.
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