Youth Provider Networking Session
On Thursday, July 24, 2014, OhioMeansJobs
Cleveland-Cuyahoga County (OMJ|CC) had the
pleasure of facilitating its Youth Provider Networking
Session at Cleveland Job Corps Center.
The networking session was designed to offer
Youth Providers an opportunity to share best
practices, discuss common issues, and build supportive
relationships. The meeting was well-attended with nearly 20 representatives
of youth-serving organizations in attendance. Also attending was
OMJ|CC’s new Executive Director, Grace Kilbane. For Ms. Kilbane, her arrival
at Job Corps was like “returning home.” Ms. Kilbane retired as National Director
of Job Corps for the Department of Labor, and has visited Cleveland Job
Corps countless times. Also in attendance, were Ramon Serrato, CEO of Serrato
Corporation, which operates Cleveland Job Corps Center;
Algevon Miree, Job Corps student; William Houston, Center
Director; Michael Taylor, Community and Business Liaison;
and Carol Rivchun, CEO and President of Youth Opportunities
Unlimited (Y.O.U.). Mr. Miree shared the important
impact Job Corps has made on his life. He enrolled three
months ago and is determined to graduate and pursue his
trade.
The meeting, facilitated by Candace James, OMJ|CC Youth Program Manager,
began with introductions and an opportunity to hear Ms. Kilbane’s vision for
OMJ|CC. She underscored the important themes of the bipartisan legislation,
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), signed by President Obama
on July 22, 2014. Some important features of WIOA include:
 Greater emphasis on Out-of-School Youth, who have only one support after
high school – the workforce system
 Common national branding
 Streamlining the local Workforce Board
Carol Rivchun of Y.O.U. and Julia Donovan of Linking Employment Abilities
and Potential (LEAP) conducted brief presentations about their agencies.
Ms. Rivchun shared Y.O.U.’s 30 year history as a youth workforce provider.
She highlighted Y.O.U.’s role as the major leader in summer employment serving
3,000 youth with a database of 15,000 registrants. She also discussed
Y.O.U.’s involvement in STEM internships, which connect STEM schools to the
business community. Y.O.U. has been funded to secure 100 internships. Julia
Donovan of LEAP shared an illuminating story of the challenges youth with significant
disabilities face, and the intensive work that takes place to develop their
skills and abilities. Ms. Donovan discussed LEAP’s
role in the Employment First Initiative, which prioritizes
unsubsidized employment at comparable wages
for individuals with disabilities. Ms. Donovan also
spoke about the impact WIOA will have on organizations
like hers, especially concerning the blending of
education and workforce policies.
We Care!
Honor
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Commitment
Cleveland Job Corps
13421 Coit Road
Cleveland, OH 44110
(216) 541 2500
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