The State of Ohio and the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) have been awarded a three-year, $23,492,808 federal grant through the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) $500 million Good Jobs Challenge program. The initiative aims to strengthen workforce partnerships that lead to well-paying jobs. Awardees were announced by EDA Aug. 3. The OMA-State of Ohio proposal is one of 32 grants funded nationwide.
In recent years, the OMA has helped establish a statewide network of industry sector partnerships (ISPs). Industry Sector Partnerships are a partnership of businesses from the same industry in a shared labor market that work with education, workforce development, economic development, and community organizations to address the common needs of the industry. With the resources from the Good Jobs Challenge grant, each ISP will receive up to $930,000 over the next three years to carry out various elements of the program.
How the grant funds will be used
In response to regional needs and the needs of the target populations, the ISPs will be led to execute an OMA-developed, evidence-based Entry-Level Learn-and Earn (ELLE) model to prepare a future workforce. The strategy, which gives employers the opportunity to build a workforce trained to their specific needs, includes recruiting, pre-screening, preparing job skills training, onboarding, and ongoing support and job coaching components.
How Northwest Ohio will benefit
In our region, this funding will support the work of the Northwest Ohio Manufacturing Alliance (NOMA), a program of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce. NOMA is an industry led, community supported ISP that strengthens the manufacturing sector and connects our residents to meaningful careers. Visit nomapartners.org for more information or contact Sara Swisher, vice president of talent and workforce, at 567-420-1239 or [email protected].