 Columbus Non-Profit Columbus Works Celebrates 1st Anniversary and 70th Member to Receive Job Skills Training and Job Placement Assistance Columbus, OH (August 3, 2017) - Under the leadership of Beth Gifford, Columbus Works is celebrating 12 months of operation and their 70th member to receive training and job placement assistance. Columbus Works is a non-profit organization providing hope and encouragement to area residents living in poverty, to advance to self-sufficiency through employment. They offer a uniquely transformational approach to eliminating poverty in central Ohio through their network of job services and employer partners.
Columbus Works, Inc. is the Cincinnati Works Affiliate for the Columbus metropolitan area. Cincinnati Works is an award-winning model for impacting poverty by providing access to training and assistance by removing barriers to sustained employment, with tremendous success. Columbus Works serves two clients: Job seekers (Members) who desire to work their way out of poverty, and employers (Employer Partners), who pay fair wages and offer benefits. By addressing multiple concerns and needs of Members and Employer Partners Columbus Works is able to eliminate barriers to successful and sustained employment, which impacts economic self-sufficiency. “We are really excited to have come this far in such a short period of time,” said Beth Gifford of Columbus Works. “When we first learned about the success of the Cincinnati Works program, we knew it was something we had to bring to the Columbus area. Franklin County still has about one in three residents, including the working poor, who live within 200 percent of the poverty line. We have to find better ways of creating a ready workforce for those that have the will to change their circumstances.” Columbus Works initially launched in London in August 2016 and expanded to a second location on Parsons Avenue on Columbus’s South Side in October. They currently have 40 employer partners including Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Boar’s Head, Tarrier Foods, and U-Haul, and 20 support partners including Dress for Success, COTA, and Stowe Mission. They are planning to bring their services to the Franklinton area this Fall. Since its launch Columbus Works has placed 70% of graduates in full-time, living-wage jobs with benefits. This impacts not only their life, but changes the entire family. 80% of all Columbus Works Members are still employed at their original placement, making Columbus Works one of the most successful workforce development programs in Central Ohio. Columbus Works recently celebrated their one year anniversary with their Members, Employee Partners and community leaders including David Goodman, Director of the Ohio Development Services Agency and Patty Huddle SVP Columbus 2020. Also joining the celebration was Dave Phillips, Founder of Cincinnati Works who spoke about the challenges they’ve overcome in employing over 5,000 Members since he founded the organization in 1996. “There are 150,000 open positions in the state of Ohio that are listed on OhioMeansJobs.com, half of those pay $50,000 or more a year.” said David Goodman. “It’s critical we help Ohioans acquire the skills they need to secure a job.” Columbus Works recently received a $7,500 grant from CareSource and has received $40,000 in recent donations from leading central Ohio businesses. There is no cost to become an Employer Partner or Member and their services are free to both. Area employers have the opportunity to hire Columbus Works Members and have found them to be viable and value added employees. “Columbus Works Members want to work,” says Jeanine, a Columbus Works Member. “They care about their jobs and are open to feedback to improve their performance. They are willing to work hard and prove themselves.” For more information visit: http://www.columbusworks.org. ##### About Columbus Works Columbus Works is a non-profit organization providing hope and encouragement to area residents, living in poverty, to advance to self-sufficiency through employment. They offer a uniquely transformational approach to eliminating poverty in central Ohio, through their network of job services and Employer Partners. Columbus Works serves job seekers who desire to work their way out of poverty, and employers who pay fair wages and offer benefits. By addressing the multiple challenges and needs of job seekers and employers, Columbus Works is able to eliminate barriers to successful and sustained employment, impacting economic self-sufficiency. Columbus Works, Inc. is the Cincinnati Works Affiliate for the Columbus metropolitan area. Cincinnati Works is an award-winning model for impacting poverty by providing access to training and assistance removing barriers to sustained employment, with tremendous success. http://www.columbusworks.org Contact: Beth Gifford CEO, Columbus Works [email protected] Comments are closed.
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