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ConnectionTheOctober 2014Training, Services Funding to Benefit Area JoblessFor individuals who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, funding for training and employmentservices may be available through Mahoning & Columbiana Training Association (MCTA).Currently MCTA has funding for services that include; classroom training, short-term training that is less thanone year, on-the-job training and staff-assisted job search. Training can cover a wide range of occupations thatare in-demand in the area.Legislation enacted last year established requirements related to job search activities for recipients of unemployment compensation benefits. Since most requirements can be completed online, many claimants do notvisit the OhioMeansJobs Centers in person. The unfortunate result is that they may not be aware of the availability of training funds.OhioMeansJobs Centers’ partners are asked to encourage clients that may be eligible for services to visit OhioMeansJobs Centers in Mahoning and Columbiana Counties to begin the process for accessing services.Locations and hours are; OhioMeansJobs Mahoning County, 141 Boardman-Canfield Rd., Boardman, or OhioMeansJobs Columbiana County, 7989 Dickey Drive, Suite 4, Lisbon or the Oakhill Satellite Office, 345 OakhillAve. (Entrance D), Youngstown. The Boardman and Lisbon offices are open Monday through Friday from 8a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The Oakhill office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.MORE TRAINING NEWS -Christine Donofrio is the new Admissions Counselor for DESI Job Corps Ohio. Job Corps is a federally-funded education and training program that serves low-income youth and young adults ages 1624 years of age. It offers the opportunity to participants to obtain a high school diploma or GED andcareer technical training at no cost. Students can train in Ohio, Michigan or Kentucky in a variety ofgrowing career fields including, but not limited to; healthcare, construction, automotive, computers and culinary arts. Christine visits OhioMeansJobs Mahoning County on a bi-weekly basis. She ishoping to connect with other agencies to find out how Job Corps might serve their clients. Christinecan be contacted at 330-630-4623 or 330-958-5101.Trumbull: 280 N. Park Ave., Suite 1, Warren OH 44481 (330) 675-2179The Connectionis a publication of:Mahoning: 141 Boardman-Canfield Rd., Youngstown, OH 44512 (330) 965-1787Oakhill Satellite: 345 Oakhill Ave., Youngstown, OH 44502 (330) 884-6178Columbiana: 7989 Dickey Drive, Suite 4, Lisbon, OH 44432 (330) 420-9675

The ConnectionOctober 2014New Regs for Food AssistancePrompts Round of ReassessmentsThe Columbiana County Department of Job & FamilyServices is currently conducting individual assessments forindividuals who were receiving food assistance under theAble-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) program. A year ago, the 1,100 Columbiana County residentswho were on the program were required to participate ina work activity to continue receiving benefits. Exemptionswere available for those under the age of 15, older than 50,pregnant or living in a high-unemployment county. About40 percent of the 1,100 county ABAWD participants cameto the CCDJFS to be assessed. Those who did not reportwere sanctioned but once the sanction period was over, theycould re-schedule an assessment.Individuals who are able to work are being matched withone of approximately 100 worksites in the county. Sincethe program began in October 2013 through Oct. 21, 821individuals have been assessed by CCDJFS, and 32 have participated in the Getting Ahead program classes offered byCCDJFS through the Salem branch of Kent State University.The Getting Ahead classes educate and assist participants tobecome self-sufficient.Updates:Page 2Eastern Gateway Receives 3.5M in TAACCT GrantsEastern Gateway Community College willreceive a total of 3.5 million in federalgrants as part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and CareerTraining program.The first grant for 2.5 million will establisha center to offer basic and advanced machining training in the Mahoning Valley.The second grant of 1 million is part ofa 15 million grant for a statewide consortium. This grant will be used to add awelding lab to the machining training facility. The classes in these programs will carrycollege credit.The funds will be used to renovate an existing facility, which has not yet been selected,that is to open in fall 2015. Equipment willbe purchased and about six full-time andpart-time employees will be hired.The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition will receive some of the five-year grantfunding to support the project.CCDJFS Has Successful Summer Youth Employment ProgramIn October, 79 youths were still working in the Columbiana County Department of Job & FamilyServices’ Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) that ends Oct. 31.A total of 254 youths participated in the 2014 program that began in May. Most of the youths havereturned to school or gone to college. Sixty-two worksites participated in the program.The original federal TANF allocation that Columbiana County received to run the 2014 programwas 427,000. The county also received a total of 466,000 in TANF funds from Knox, Wood, Portage, Morrow, and Morgan Counties that could not spend all of their SYEP allocations. Another 348,000 in Columbiana County’s existing TANF funds was transferred to the program so it couldbe extended to the end of October. The total cost of this year’s program was 1.2 million.This program has been very successful in Columbiana County for the past several years with someyouths retaining full-time employment when the program ends. This year and in 2013, ColumbianaPublic Schools hired two of its SYEP youths as full-time custodians.

The ConnectionOctober 2014Page 3What’s New:Career CertificateProgram at MCCTCHelps ParticipantsAs part of its Career Certification training program, MahoningCounty Career & Technical Center recently conducted electricalfundamentals training for Aqua Ohio covering a variety of topics.Twelve workers from seven Aqua Ohio locations received trainingin electrical fundamentals that included terminology, safety, circuitfundamentals, circuit analysis and hands-on troubleshooting.In another Career Certification training program, all graduates of aCulinary and Restaurant Management class were employed in various food service and culinary fields including Hollywood Gaming inAustintown and a resort in Colorado. A new class for the Culinaryand Restaurant Management program started in September andMCCTC plans to start another class in spring of 2015.Medical programs are also currently in progress. One of the MedicalAssistant classes is having students participate in externships whilepreparing to graduate in December 2014. Public Safety and Industrial Technology classes are ongoing.The 2014 class of the Columbiana County Career & Technical Center’s Practical Nursing Program completed studies Oct. 29 and received diplomas at the Oct. 30 graduation ceremony.Upon graduation the students will sit for their NCLEX exam to be licensed in the State of Ohio.The new Practical Nurseing class of 50 students began its studies Sept. 3. CCCTC began testingfor the 2015-2016 class in October. Contact Kevin Clark at 330-424-9561 ext. 176 to set up testing or check testing dates at www.ccctc.k12.oh.us.

The ConnectionOctober 2014Page 4UMCC Stand Down Offers Services to VetsUnited Methodist Community Center hosted on Sept. 26 its second annual Stand Down for Veterans. The event at the First United MethodistChurch in Warren opened with a welcome from the United Methodist Community Executive Director Juanita Pasley. Proclamations weredelivered by Warren Mayor William “Doug” Franklin and YoungstownMayor John McNally along with opening remarks from local city andstate officials.A number of services including health, HIV/AIDS counseling, housing/shelter referral, substance abuse, mental health, employment and jobtraining and veterans’ benefits counseling, were provided by more than30 agencies, businesses and vendors.Veterans and their families enjoyed a continental breakfast and couldtake backpacks filled with hygiene products, employment tools andresources, gift cards, t-shirts and undergarments. They also received asecond backpack donated by Eastern Gateway Community Center thatincluded a packed lunch and fresh produce.CCCTC Adult ProgramGets AccreditationColumbiana County Career & Technical Center’s Adult Education recently announced that it was awardeda six-year accreditation through theCouncil on Occupational Education(COE). The school hosted a teamin March when all programs werereviewed and full accreditation wasawarded with no recommendationsby the council.Success Story:WIA Training Dollars Helps Woman Break BarriersTempest’t Ziegler applied for Workforce Investment Act funding in June 2013and subsequently attended Kent State University, pursing a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Construction Management. Tempest’t had only two semesters remaining, but was in need of financial assistance to complete her education andbecome self-sufficient.Tempest’t chose a non-traditional occupation. Her success could help eliminatesome barriers for other women. Tempest’t received her degree on May 10 andwas employed at Simon Roofing & Sheet Metal in Youngstown.Because WIA helped fund her semesters, she will not have student loan debtand she will be able to concentrate on becoming self-sufficient.Tempest’t describes her choice in her own words.“Traditionally women do not study in the areas of STEM or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Many are not encouraged to, only sticking to the stereotypical careers like social worker, teacher,secretary, etc. Most women are usually reluctant to go into a traditionally male dominated field and stick to‘clean jobs’ because they are considered acceptable by society. This makes many women feel less confidentand have low self-assurance even though they may exceed in a chosen career. When you have self-confidence and drive, you can do anything you set your mind on.”