Regional Chamber’s JobsNow Initiative Gets Award
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s JobsNow Workforce initiative was recognized Monday by the Mid-America Economic Development Council at its annual Competitiveness Conference and Site Selector Forum in Chicago.
The council, which comprises economic development professionals and members in 12 Midwest states, named the chamber’s JobsNow Workforce initiative as the first-place winner in the 2018 Economic Development Awards’ Workforce Development category.
The JobsNow Workforce Initiative was created in 2016 to help close the gap between the demand for skilled labor and the supply of workforce-ready employees iby publicizing available jobs, connecting qualified workers to those positions and attracting talent to the area.
“We’ve heard what our company decision makers and human resource directors have to say about their workforce experiences as employers, and in response, we created JobsNow in an effort to mitigate their ongoing challenges,” said Sarah Boyarko, chief operating office and senior vice president of economic developmentr. “The program has been well received, and we look forward to taking it to the next level in 2019.”
The JobsNow Workforce initiative includes three components:
- Publicize available jobs: Chamber partner WKBN promotes in-demand jobs and openings on news telecasts on a weekly basis.
- Connect qualified workers by offering free drug testing: Drug testing is available to chamber member businesses for their potential applicants at no cost through Steward WorkMed.
- Attract talented individuals to companies and the Mahoning Valley: Attracting qualified and capable human capital to the Valley is often difficult for many employers in the community. The chamber can help encourage out-of-area applicants to move to the Valley in order to fill the workforce demands of its member businesses.
Pictured: The chamber’s Marcy Angelo, manager of business development and the JobsNow program, is pictured with Ron Starner from conference sponsor Conway Data Inc. and Chris Strayer from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and president of Mid-America Economic Development Council.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
