In this issue:

• Serve on a 2025 committee for the Workforce Council of Southwest Ohio
• Nominations are Now Open for the 2025 Workforce Champion Awards!
• New Phone Numbers for Workforce Council Staff
• New Report About the Low-Wage Workforce Over the Last 50 Years
• New: National Workforce Education, Career and Apprenticeship Network™
• Help spread the word about the Nov. 20 Career Fair at OhioMeansJobs and upcoming workshops
• Upcoming event: Maximize Your Workforce Potential
• New Ohio Teacher Bootcamp Program from the State
• Youth Spotlight from Santa Maria
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Best Practices from the U.S. Department of Labor
• Want to learn more about ApprenticeOhio? Join a live chat session!

 
Serve on a 2025 committee for the Workforce Council of Southwest Ohio

 The Workforce Council is seeking volunteers to serve on several of its committees for the 2025 calendar year. If you have the interest and time available to serve, please express your interest via this brief form by no later than Nov. 20. Each committee is focused on a unique topic:

• Engaging employers & the business community
• Serving people experiencing disabilities
• Workforce training for in-demand jobs
• Youth and workforce readiness

 
Nominations are Now Open for the 2025 Workforce Champion Awards!

The Workforce Champion Awards nomination form is available now through Dec .16!

These awards recognize individuals, teams and organizations for outstanding workforce development achievements in Cincinnati and Hamilton County during the past calendar year (2024). Award winners will be recognized at the Workforce Council’s Annual Meeting and Awards Breakfast on February 13, 2025. All award winners and their nominators will be invited to the event.

Nominations are being accepted through Dec. 16, 2024, for individuals, teams, and organizations. Self-nominations are permitted.

New Phone Numbers for Workforce Council Staff

The Workforce Council of Southwest Ohio team moved office locations, and now we have new phone numbers! Contact our team:

Beth Yoke, Executive Director: 513-694-0789 

Elaine Fay, Business & Community Relations Manager: 513-694-0733 

Pamela Massey, MSW, LSW, Senior Program Manager: 513-694-0028 

Karen Saterfield, Administrative Assistant: 513-694-0815 

Libby Scott, Communications & Marketing Manager: 513-694-0787 

 
New Report About the Low-Wage Workforce Over the Last 50 Years

In this report, researchers find that more than half of low-wage workers are now people of color, up from just 20 percent in 1971. Today, Black, Latino, and women workers are more likely to be segregated into worse-quality and lower-paying jobs.

 
New: National Workforce Education, Career and Apprenticeship Network™

The National Institute for Industry and Career Advancement™ has launched the National Workforce Education, Career and Apprenticeship Network™ (WE CAN), to engage and inform practitioners interested in promoting skill-based learning and hiring through the establishment and expansion of Registered Apprenticeships.

Save the date for the Nov. 20 Career Fair at OhioMeansJobs

The next career fair at OhioMeansJobs will be on Wednesday, Nov. 20. From 1-2 p.m. will be for veterans and 2-4 p.m. will be open to the public.

The event will be free and open to everyone; find more information here. The November OhioMeansJobs workshops are also free and open to everyone:

• Balancing work and health
• Enhance your interview skills
• One-on-one resume writing assistance
• The road to home ownership
• Financial literacy
• Mental health awareness
• Financial literacy
• Resume writing

Upcoming event: Maximize Your Workforce Potential

Learn strategies to upskill your workforce and tap into state funding to cover the cost of technical certifications. Some of the topics to be covered include:

• Practical Upskilling Tips: Discover effective ways to elevate your team’s skills and keep them motivated.
• Funding Opportunities: We’ll walk through the process of getting reimbursed for technical certification training to maximize your investment.
• Connect & Collaborate: Engage with experts and like-minded professionals who are navigating the same workforce challenges and opportunities.

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 20
Time: 4-6 p.m. (Hors d’oeuvres will be provided!)
Location: Modula – 5000 Commerce Center Dr. Franklin, OH 45005

 
New Ohio Teacher Bootcamp Program from the State

Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted announced the application period for Ohio’s Teacher Bootcamp Program opened on Nov. 1 for institutions of higher education. Teacher bootcamps bring educators into local businesses to help expose them to the in-demand career skillsets their communities need so they can better prepare students to be career ready upon graduation.

Ohio’s Teacher Bootcamp Program provides reimbursement to higher education organizations for tuition costs of coursework taken by teachers to up-skill themselves. The goal is to incentivize teacher professional development and strengthen the quality of education in sectors like Advanced Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Broadband & 5G, Cybersecurity, Healthcare, Transportation, or other Trades. The application period for the Teacher Bootcamp Program will close on Nov. 29, 2024, at 3 p.m.

 
Youth spotlight from Santa Maria

The Workforce Council partners with Career Team, Hamilton County Job & Family Services, and Santa Maria to serve youth ages 14 – 24 who are neither in school nor working. Eligible youth can receive life skills training, job training, work experiences, and wrap-around supports to put them on the path to self-sufficiency.

This success story comes from Santa Maria: “Taylor came into our agency with the goals of working in the veterinary field, specifically as a vet tech or assistant. In less than a year, she’s already on track to graduate from vet tech school and is excelling in her classes. She also found a job working with animals, which she loves, and feels like she’s finally found the right career. Within six months, Taylor received a 20% wage increase total at her job and has been promoted multiple times. Her personal life has also transformed with close to two years of sobriety and has turned her life around completely. Taylor is also working toward getting a car, which will be another milestone in her path toward greater independence. With her graduation from veterinary tech school in December and her upcoming graduation from the BLOC Ministries program, she is well on her way to even more success.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Best Practices from the U.S. Department of Labor

The U.S. Dept. of Labor announced the release of comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Best Practices designed to ensure that emerging technologies such as AI enhance job quality and benefit workers when used in the workplace. The Best Practices provide strategies for how AI can benefit workers and businesses while maintaining a focus on workers’ rights, job quality, well-being, privacy and economic security. These approaches include:

• Ethically developing AI standards, review processes and establishing governance structures.
• Ensuring meaningful human oversight for significant employment decisions.
• Being transparent with workers about the use of AI and identifying how AI can assist workers.
• Centering workers and their input on the use of AI in the workplace.
• Protecting workers’ labor and employment rights.
• Providing AI training for workers.
• Securing and protecting worker data.

 
Want to learn more about ApprenticeOhio? Join a live chat session!

ApprenticeOhio is a program that connects companies to people wanting to learn a trade or skill. “Ask ApprenticeOhio” is a live chat drop-in opportunity for sponsors, potential sponsors, and partners to ask questions or address an issue or concern regarding apprenticeship in Ohio. These sessions will be recorded and questions captured for FAQs. The meeting is scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month at 2 p.m. The next one is on Dec. 4. Contact admin@cincyworkforce.org for more info.