Authored by Jesse Simmons, President – Career Aspirations, Supply Chain OKI

We are using the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds awarded by the Hamilton County Commissioners to support Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS). As part of this effort, we are partnering with four high schools identified by CPS to participate in the Career Aspirations Initiative: Dater, Taft, Woodward, and Withrow High Schools. 

Through this initiative, schools select from a menu of career exploration and workforce readiness opportunities designed to expose students to in-demand industries and help them build foundational career skills. Students have participated, or plan to participate, in Career and Job Readiness Training, Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt (LSSYB) Training, In-Demand Expert Panels, Supply Chain Bootcamps, Construction Bootcamps, JA Inspire to Hire events, Company Tours, and Lunch and Learns. 

ARPA funding has been especially impactful in supporting Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt (LSSYB) training, which provides students with industry-recognized process improvement skills. Most recently, 12 students and two teachers from Woodward High School successfully completed the LSSYB training thanks to ARPA funding. Additional training is scheduled for 10 students from Taft High School. Through this effort, the program has expanded beyond the initial pilot school, Dater High School, to include Woodward and Taft, resulting in 22 additional students and two teachers earning LSSYB certifications. 

While the program has seen strong engagement and positive outcomes, several important lessons have emerged that will help strengthen future implementation. In some cases, parent approval was required by the Community Program in order for training costs to be covered. When approvals were not received before program deadlines, Supply Chain OKI (SCOKI) stepped in to fund a significant portion of the training and student stipend costs to ensure students could still participate. This experience highlighted the need for additional school support and outreach to parents to secure approvals in advance of grant deadlines. 

The program has also revealed additional opportunities to better support students as they transition into employment. For example, expanding services to include assistance with obtaining driver’s licenses could significantly increase students’ access to job opportunities, particularly in industries where transportation is essential. Additionally, there is a clear need to incorporate financial literacy and banking access, helping students who secure employment learn how to manage their income and open bank accounts. 

Overall, the ARPA investment is helping expand access to career exploration and industry-recognized training for CPS students while also providing valuable insights into how programs can continue evolving to better support youth as they enter the workforce. 

Thank you to the Hamilton County Commissioners and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for the funding provided for this grant project.