Get It From The Source A proud partner of the American Job Center network October 2017 Volume 14, Issue 4 In This Month s Issue OMJ Stark and Tuscarawas Win Vets O.N.E. Award Page 1 & 2 Special Event Workshop - Does My Age Really Matter? Page 3 STWDB Executive Director Participates in Roundtable Page 3 OMJ Participates in Project Homeless Connect Page 4 Job & Family Services Holds Annual Job Fair Page 4 A Record Number of Employers Participate in Massillon Job Fair Page 5 Don t Miss the Fair - Canton City Schools ACTE Page 6 Overheard in a Workshop Page 7 Upcoming Events Page 7 OMJ Stark and Tuscarawas Win Vets O.N.E. Award OhioMeansJobs Stark and Tuscarawas Counties has been selected as the recipient of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services 2017 Veterans Ohio Network for Employment (Vets O.N.E.) Incentive Award. This $50,000 award is given annually to an OhioMeansJobs Center or Workforce Area that provides extraordinary and commendable service, and improves service delivery to Ohio veterans. Criteria for selection includes efforts at providing employment and training services to veterans and other eligible persons, and demonstrating that they directly affect a single veteran or category of veterans such as special disabled veterans. In addition, exceptional services provided to hard-to-serve veterans, such as homeless veterans, is taken into consideration. These incentive funds are to be donated on behalf of an OhioMeansJobs Center or Workforce Area to 501c3 non-profit organizations that provide services to veterans and their families. As a result, OhioMeansJobs Stark and Tuscarawas Counties has donated $40,000 to SAM Center (Serving Area Military, Veterans and Widows) of Massillon, and $10,000 to Stable Support Services (Stable Solutions) of Alliance. Both organizations serve Stark and Tuscarawas county residents. SAM Center is a volunteer community of veterans and military supporters helping each other. It was founded in 2015 with the mission to better the lives of service members, veterans and their widows. The center collaborates with other community agencies to ensure programs aren t being duplicated, while the gap in assistance is being filled. Stable Solutions is a military services program that provides individualized programming for veterans, active military and their families through equine therapy. Their mission is to improve mental health, promote personal development, utilizing experiential activities in a non-traditional setting, led by licensed mental health professionals. In announcing the performance incentive award, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said the perseverance, dedication and innovative thinking of the OhioMeansJobs Stark and Tuscarawas Counties staff has positively impacted Ohio s veterans and their families. OhioMeansJobs Stark and Tuscarawas Counties staff and partner agencies assist our veteran customers each and every day with their employment, education and training, financial literacy and community resource needs. Our staff and partners are
Page 2 Vets O.N.E. Award...continued truly dedicated, going above and beyond, to serve our veteran customers and their families, said JoAnn Breedlove, COO for OhioMeansJobs Stark and Tuscarawas Counties. OhioMeansJobs Stark and Tuscarawas Counties served 10,314 individual customers resulting in 35,184 visits during program year 2016. As a system, 37% of individual customers were new customers, with roughly 6% of those identified as veterans. In 2015, OhioMeansJobs Stark and Tuscarawas Counties served 785 veterans. In 2016 service to veterans increased approximately 9 percent with 852 being served. The most notable improvement to veteran services regarding partner collaboration is the success of incorporating financial coaching within the center. Financial coaching is being provided both by the United Way Financial Prosperity Center and the Transitioning Veterans Financial Coach housed in the OhioMeansJobs center. Provided through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the OhioMeansJobs center has hosted a full-time Transitioning Veterans Financial Coach tasked with assisting veterans with financial coaching service needs since June 2015. In addition to Stark and Tuscarawas counties, the financial coach provides services to surrounding counties as needed. Only 40 coaches nationwide are providing these services at American Job Centers. (l to r) ODJFS Program Manager William Moore, Stark Tuscarawas Workforce Development Board Chair Dave Wheeler, ODJFS DVOP Patrice Wood, ODJFS Supervisor Lisa DeCarlo, ODJFS DVOP Troy Bradfield, ODJFS Workforce Administrator Ryan Thompson, ODJFS Veteran s Service Administrator David Stonerock, Stark Tuscarawas Workforce Development Board Executive Director Jennifer Meek Eells, Workforce Initiative Association Resource Center Manager/One- Stop Officer Amy MIller and Workforce Initiative Association Chief Operating Officer JoAnn Breedlove presented Vet O.N.E. checks to (left picture) SAM Center acting Director Craig Neading and President Brian Bowman and (right picture) Stable Solutions President of the Board Sheri Brown, Master Sergeant (ret) Ed Brown, and Executive Director Loree Stubblefield
Page 3 Special Event Workshop - Does My Age Really Matter? Job seekers in the resource room at both Stark and Tuscarawas County frequently comment that they feel like they are too old and are not considered for jobs or, conversely, that they can t get a job because they don t have enough experience in the workforce. OhioMeansJobs decided it was time to settle the questions and created the special event workshop, Does My Age Really Matter? Strengths and Challenges. The workshop will be offered in both Stark and Tuscarawas County on Friday, October 13 at 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and will consist of two parts. The first part of the workshop will look at how to communicate with different generations, making a favorable impression on an employer regardless of their generation or your generation, and help attendees find similarities between people of different generations. The second part of the workshop will offer the opportunity to hear from employers from different generations. They will talk about generations in their workplace, covering the similarities as well as the differences. Communication in their companies between the generations will also be covered. All are welcome to attend! To reserve a seat, please call OhioMeansJobs at 330-433-9675 or OhioMeansJobs Tuscarawas County at 330-364-9777. STWDB Executive Director Participates in Roundtable Stark Tuscarawas Workforce Development Board Executive Director Jennifer Meek Eells participated in a local roundtable discussion at Union Country Club in Dover on Thursday, August 31st with Senator Sherrod Brown. Business, education, and community leaders from Tuscarawas County talked for ninety minutes with Senator Brown to recap the Manufacturing Camp that was held at Buckeye Career Center this summer, as well as workforce and economic development needs in the county and region.
Page 4 OMJ Participates in Project Homeless Connect OhioMeansJobs participated in the Project Homeless Connect event on September 19, 2017 and the event was successful and very rewarding for all involved. There were a large number of vendors that participated and provided supplies and giveaways to hundreds of those in need. OhioMeansJobs provided resources and material to approximately 170 individuals about employment, education and training as well as community services. Other agencies provided giveaways for the attendees including medical supplies, clothing, hygiene kits, and food vouchers. Many individuals attending the event were given free haircuts, shaves and new hairstyles which were an obvious self-esteem and self-worth boost to the recipients. Attendees and vendors watched and took pictures of those getting their make-overs and there was a mutual expression of happiness for each of them. This event did so much more than provide physical supplies and resources. Individuals left the event with encouragement, hope and a new starting point. Vendors were able to connect, share ideas, and support one another. It was a great opportunity to provide information about the services at OhioMeansJobs to the attendees, as well as to connect with other vendors. Job & Family Services Holds Annual Job Fair There was a huge turnout for the annual Job and Family Services Job Fair held at the Canton Civic Center on September 20th. There was a line of job seekers waiting for the doors to open to get in to the event. Overall, 600+ job seekers attended the job fair to network with the 73 participating employers and apply for jobs. In addition, seven employers were on standby in case an employer would cancel at the last minute and they could attend. All employers in attendance had open positions and were hiring. Danelle Lightner, SCJFS JOBS Administrator, stated that this was the third year the event was held at the Canton Civic Center. The set up included a dedicated resource area where job seekers could use a laptop to apply online as well as interview rooms where job seekers could interview with employers on the spot. OhioMeansJobs Resource Room Specialist Shannon McClay shared information about the services available at OhioMeansJobs, including workshops, resource room services, and partner agencies. An array of community service information was also available at the OMJ table. The job fair is geared toward SCJFS Ohio Works First (OWF) recipients but also individuals participating in the SCJFS Child Support Enforcement Agency Right Path Program. Individuals on SNAP are also invited to attend. OWF population gets a lot of preparation on job fair etiquette before it takes place, so they can be as prepared as possible.
Get it from...the Source Page 5 A Record Number of Employers Participate in Massillon Job Fair S ixty three employers had the opportunity to meet with nearly 250 jobs seekers at the Massillon Job Fair held September 27th at the Massillon Recreation Center. For a fourth consecutive year, OhioMeansJobs successfully partnered with the city of Massillon, Massillon WestStark Chamber of Commerce, The Independent, Monster, Mix 94.1 and News-Talk 1480 to produce this event. This was the largest number of employers we have ever had participate in our Massillon job fairs, however I was not surprised due to the large volume of job orders the Business Unit has been processing. We received very positive feedback from the employers who indicated that they were pleased with the quality of the job applicants, said Kelly Haer, OMJ Business Manager. Job opportunities represented health care, manufacturing, financial, law enforcement, and sales and marketing industries. Many of the job seekers were interviewed on the spot, while others left the event with interviews scheduled for later in the week, added Haer. In addition to Haer, staff members and partners who assisted with the event included Robin Hartline, Harry Berry, Bret Adams, Mike Noe, Missy Axline, Shannon McClay, Dee Shelton and Monica Gwin. (l to r) Victoria Brown, Massillon Community Development Director; Business Manager Kelly Haer and Adam Miller, General Sales Manager for WHBC (l to r) Ray Hexamer, President of the Stark Development Board, Business Manager Kelly Haer, and Business Resource Network Representative Mike Noe
Page 6 Don t Miss the Fair - Canton City Schools ACTE
Get It From...The Source Page 7 Overheard in a Workshop Mindy Thompson Attended: Internet Job Search Made Easy I learned how to use the OMJ website to search for a job. Mark Kibler Attended: How to Ace an Interview I liked the group discussion and learning answers to questions I didn t know. Upcoming Events October 9 Columbus Day - Office Closed to the Public October 10 Career Concept Recruitment 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. October 10 Case Farms Recruitment Tuscarawas County 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. October 12 Kelly Services Recruitment 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. October 17 One-Stop Partner Meeting 8:30 a.m. October 20 Tuscarawas County One-Stop Partner Meeting 8:30 a.m. October 24 Career Concept Recruitment 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. October 24 Case Farms Recruitment Tuscarawas County 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. October 26 Ryan Staffing Recruitment 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. OhioMeansJobs In - 822 30th St. NW Canton, Ohio 44709 phone: 330-433-WORK (4675) In Tuscarawas County - 1260 Monroe, Suite 35, New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663 phone: 330-364-9777 On the Web at: : http://ohiomeansjobs.com/stark and at: http://ohiomeansjobs.com/tuscarawas