YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Brenda Linert, director of community impact for the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, and Carol Holmes-Chambers, community solutions director for Goodwill, discuss their growing partnership to strengthen workforce development and retention across the Mahoning Valley.
Both leaders emphasize the urgency of addressing systemic barriers – child care, transportation and behavioral health – that continue to keep many residents from entering or staying in the workforce. “You have a thriving person, you’re going to have a thriving workforce,” Holmes-Chambers explains, noting the importance of shifting how the community views need, support and opportunity.
Linert describes how her role was designed to bring stakeholders together to tackle these issues collaboratively. She highlights the development of committees, subcommittees and new initiatives born from regional needs assessments. “We’re really trying to work collaboratively to address the barriers. … Businesses are particularly aware of these challenges,” she says.
The pair walk through several major efforts underway, including, piloting child care solutions through employer partnerships, creating a comprehensive pipeline-to-employment opportunity center, building a coordinated referral system for job seekers needing social services and bringing local legislators and county leaders together around unified strategies.
Holmes-Chambers says one of the most encouraging developments is the high level of collaboration emerging among businesses, nonprofits and community organizations. “We can’t do this by ourselves. … Our agendas cannot just be on our organization. It really has to be community-focused.”
With the Regional Chamber representing more than 3,000 businesses and Goodwill providing on-the-ground support services, both leaders say communication and partnership are essential to improving workforce participation and long-term stability in the Valley.