About the Initiative

“Manufacturing isn’t always about physical labor. You have people that can come in and do assemblies and work with electrical components. I started my career as a lower-level associate and I’ve worked my way up through the years to become a Quality Manager at Libra Industries.”

“We are a Cybersecurity company and we work with our clients to not only identify any threats that come in but also help mediate and help service them along the way. Our teammates are our family. We believe that we can bring great talent and help grow them… We create an environment that people want to work at!”

“Manufacturing has continued to grow and develop and become a clean working environment – whether you’re making automotive parts like my company or if you’re making beverages or food – whatever it may be. Cleanliness is really important in manufacturing to also ensure the quality of your products. There are a lot of career opportunities available in the field and you’re also going to find that it is one of the higher-paying career choices – even at the entry-level.”

“My new job allowed me the opportunity to grow and live a better life. I can now remodel my home and do so many things that I couldn’t thanks to my job.”

“Had it not been for Marti [Goodwill Columbus Coach] and her connections, I would not have had this opportunity. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Knowing Marti is what helped me get to where I am today!”

“When I was in high school, I did a program called Urban League. After I graduated, I was in a college course for Occupational Therapy and I didn’t really enjoy it that much. So I had hit [Urban League of Greater Cleveland coach] Nate Phillips back up about different opportunities about machining and manufacturing, and how I could get my foot in the door because it was what I had liked to do. I did the program, I passed the first part of the program, I passed the program, and now I’m on my way to be a CNC Machiner.”

“I would not have been able to take [the We Can Code It] bootcamp if it weren’t for the tuition reimbursement. I was unemployed, so all I was getting was the unemployment and there was no way that I could afford the tuition. So, by making that accessible, I had to pay a portion of it, but I feel like it was money so well spent. I feel like We Can Code It took the worst year of my life and turned it around.”

“I was put in front of a several employers and a lot of them had expressed interest, whether they had positions available or not, they definitely expressed interest. The help as far as the [Tech Elevator] Pathway program and the [employer] matchmaking, that made a huge difference, and I think that made the difference that gave me the chance or, at least, presented me the opportunity and took it, to get employed at Gainwell.”

“I had been applying for jobs all over the place, and my training coach helped me find my current role in less than two months. Thanks to the initiative, I am now a Patient Access Representative at the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. This is a full-time position with great benefits and vacation time, and there’s a clear path to becoming a team lead. Before this experience, my mental health was suffering, but now my overall outlook is improved.”

“The Ohio To Work “Interview Days” are great for our job seekers. These Interview Days focus on particular industries where we have many job seekers with specific experience, training and interests. Right now, I’m working with a woman who has finished classes in a particular industry but was facing dead-ends for interviews.”

“Whatever it takes. I was scheduled to meet my client at the library to walk him through the process, but the library was closed due to COVID. We don’t give up easily. I called a program coordinator who was able to connect him to an employer hiring for his skills.”

“I interviewed and got the job. Now I’m a line operator at Mace Security. It’s a full-time position with a good owner and a lot of good people working there. I’m working the third shift which is good for me because I have kids and I’m attending classes to add to my manufacturing skills.”

“I was already researching boot camps when my career coach told me about their collaboration with Tech Elevator. Tech Elevator’s high review scores were appealing, and the training grant made enrollment feasible.”

“We found the virtual career fair program and platform [powered by Ohio To Work] easy to use, and excellent support was provided for out booth set-up and the chat feature was especially helpful. We definitely reached some candidates that have good potential to be hired.”

“Prior to the virtual career fair [powered by Ohio To Work] we went through ALL of the registrants, looking for people that were interested in manufacturing or weren’t sure what they were looking for and invited them to our booth. One name caught our eye, it was a person who had previously been on assignment with Mace through an employment agency. We invited him to our booth and this candidate is one of three people hired at Mace from the virtual career fair. The virtual career fair was well worth my time spent. In addition to our new hires, it created a nice pipeline of candidates for upcoming positions as well!”

“Before the pandemic, I was performing well in my career field. Then COVID hit. At first, I was just furloughed but then my job went away. And it wasn’t coming back. I attended an Ohio To Work information session and learned about the We Can Code It program. I knew another opportunity like this would never come along again. I was able to get scholarships through Ohio To Work and We Can Code It, so there were no costs to me except books.”