Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a not-for-profit service contract with The Ohio State University, to engage the Center on Education and Training for Employment for evaluation and research services pertaining to the Central Ohio workforce development ecosystem and the CAREER 500 program.
The City of Columbus is the CAREER (Columbus Access to Resources for Expanding Employment Readiness) 500 grant program in partnership with Aspyr, formerly known as the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio, and in concert with the Central Ohio Workforce Development Network. Workforce development organizations will apply for capacity-building grants. The program’s strategic design is meant to help agencies maximize their strengths, expanding in areas where flexible dollars will allow them to recruit, serve, and graduate more clients.
Through the CAREER 500 program, Columbus City Council seeks to not only provide transformative support to local workforce development agencies, but to develop a deeper understanding of the unique characteristics and strategies in workforce development agencies that promote gainful, meaningful employment for Columbus residents. The Ohio State University’s Center on Education and Training for Employment excels in studying the workforce development field and translating new knowledge into insights that support better decisions by practitioners for the community. The research resulting from this evaluation will support the workforce development ecosystem in utilizing the best practices specific to the Columbus region’s unique population, strengths, and opportunities. The evaluation will also support Columbus City Council in making strong, data-informed funding decisions in the workforce development space in the future.
The Center’s evaluation will focus on organizational activities and strategies that promote the recruitment, retention, and professional development of diverse individuals in the workf...
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