​By Tim Schneider, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce

​At its regular meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, Toledo City Council is expected to vote on Ordinance 397-20 which would approve a new lead-safe program for residential rental properties with one to four units and childcare homes built prior to 1978. The ordinance would require such properties to obtain a lead-safe certificate by passing a visual lead hazard and dust wipe inspection. The certificate would be valid for five years, but fully abated properties would be eligible for a 20-year certificate. The ordinance would task the Department of Neighborhoods with coordinating the program, the Division of Code Enforcement with enforcing the program, and the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department with issuance of certificates. The compliance deadline for properties in high-risk census tracts would be June 30, 2022, and a five-year phase-in schedule would be established for remaining properties.

On Oct. 15, 2020, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced that the second round of the Emergency Microenterprise Recovery Grant (EMRG) would begin to accept new applications at 9 a.m. on Oct. 19. The first round of the grant opened May 11 and closed May 24, and the second round will be the final round of the EMRG. A deadline for the application period has not been announced.

By Amanda DePerro, communications manager

​On Oct. 8, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce held its fifth and final session of Talent Resource Week called Employee Resource Group Best Practices. The highly anticipated session focused on local business Owens Corning’s model of implementing and utilizing employee resource groups, encouraging employees to bring their full and true selves to the workplace and building strong relationships with others with a similar background.

By Amanda DePerro, communications manager

On Oct. 8, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Talent Resource Week began its final day with the session Micro-internships and How Your Company Can Utilize Them. This session is especially relevant today, as traditional internships are difficult to achieve during the pandemic and when many university students have not returned to campus

By Amanda DePerro, communications manager

The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Talent Resource Week continued on Oct. 7 with session Hiring Employees with Addictions. In the state of Ohio, addiction and drug abuse is a common thread. In 2007, motor vehicle crashes was surpassed for the first time as the No. 1 killer of Ohioans, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The No. 1 killer of Ohioans from 2007 to 2018 became accidental overdose deaths. But substance addiction can be overcome, and talented, driven Ohioans with a history of addiction are entering or reentering the workforce every day.

By Amanda DePerro, communications manager

On the second day of Talent Resource Week, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce sat down with presenters and attendees to discuss employer resource networks (ERNs). ERNs are designed to assist employees with accessing the resources they need to successfully show up to work, maintain productivity and increase retention.

By Amanda DePerro, communications manager

On Oct. 6, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce kicked off its first-ever Talent Resource Week (TRW). In years past, the Toledo Chamber has brought employers together for the Talent Summit, a day of learning about talent alignment strategies, building industry sector partnerships and more. However, this year, the Toledo Chamber went virtual, bringing attendees a week of events, programming and resources as innovative business and community leaders converged to discuss attracting, retaining and developing your workforce.

​The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced changes to the H-1B visa requirements.

By Amanda DePerro, communications manager

​Clambake 2020 presented by PNC looks entirely different this year. Unlike years past, we won’t be meeting at Hollywood Casino, we won’t be enjoying a delicious clambake meal together and we won’t be enjoying the warm September weather like we normally would for Clambake. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate, and that doesn’t mean we can’t support local organizations that are putting in the work every day to make the Toledo Region a more positive place to live for everyone, especially for the most underserved members of the community.

​Now more than ever, the manufacturing industry must come together to identify regional competitiveness issues and advocate as the collective voice for manufacturing. Our sector partnership’s earn-and-learn projects are vital to our region’s economic development, and provide a tried and true approach for a highly skilled workforce that continues to innovate and adapt to meet the rapidly changing needs of the 21st century.