October 20, 2021- City of Euclid Economic Development Manager Callie Cripps, in cooperation with Cuyahoga Community College, hosted a Workforce Development Roundtable meeting at the Tri-C Transportation Innovation Center. The goal of the roundtable was to connect local employers with workforce development programs, to give an open forum for employers to voice their employment needs and make connections to fill open positions with quality candidates.

  In attendance at the roundtable were Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail and Euclid Chamber of Commerce as well as program representatives from Tri-C, MAGNET, Team NEO, Manufacturing Works, Greater Cleveland Partnership and Cuyahoga County.  Attendees represented many local manufacturing businesses including Lincoln Electric, PPG, Euclid Heat Treat and North American Plastics.

  Employers voiced concerns about being able to fill positions and shared collaborative approaches to providing creative solutions that their individual companies have undertaken to try and overcome their attraction and retention issues. Employment programs like Manufacturing Works are also thinking outside the box and have joined efforts with Cleveland Clergy Coalition to use their church busses and vans to carry workers from east side neighborhoods to manufacturing hubs where transportation might be a barrier.

   “The best way to grow our community is to make sure people are working, and to make sure businesses have the employees they need” said Mayor Holzheimer Gail. “We want to support you and help your businesses grow because that helps all of us. You have our commitment to help address this issue.”

  That commitment comes in the form of creating an “Access Center” in Euclid through the Transportation Innovation Center, turning the location into a “job hub” where both employers and prospective employees can access employment support and training programs aimed to help meet the growing needs of the community. In demand industry training programs can begin as soon as 11^th grade for High School students, and extend to post-retirement mentorship programs, ranging a wide variety of manufacturing roles. Tri-C and other partner organizations offers the opportunity for employers and training programs to “work together to create successful strategies to address the talent shortage.”

   Fast track training programs through the Tri-C Manufacturing Technology Center can be completed in as little as 4 weeks. Both job seekers and recruiting employers are urged to contact Tri-C for employment solutions. More information is available at tri-c.edu/mcoe

 For more information, connections to other partners or to get your company involved in future workforce development programming, please contact Callie Cripps at ccripps@cityofeuclid.com