Policy Blog
Debt-related license suspensions put the brakes on employment
By Gabriella Chiarenza April 15, 2025 Read the full press release at FedCommunities You don’t need a valid driver’s license to get a field job at Flagger Force. But you…
Read MoreAdvocates Applaud Legislature and Governor DeWine for Reducing Debt-Related Driver’s License Suspensions with Passage of HB 29
Published January 8, 2025 Read the full press release at ACLU’s website Today, Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 29, legislation that will remove many of the financial barriers…
Read MoreCleveland VOTES wants Northeast Ohioans to get time off to vote in the 2024 election
By Greory Burnett Published October 28, 2024 Read the full article at The Land Cleveland VOTES has held numerous events this year to get people registered for the 2024 election.…
Read MoreRep. Brewer and Suspended Licenses
Millions of Ohioans are being stripped of their right to drive due to their debt – for reasons unrelated to dangerous driving. Despite being unable to drive to work (or…
Read MoreOver 1 million Ohioans with criminal records are eligible to have their records sealed: What are we waiting for?
Published July 2024 in Policy Pulse, A Towards Employment Newsletter Article written by guest author Patrick Higgins The Getting Rehabilitated Ohioans Working (“GROW”) Act, House Bill 460, is a legislative…
Read MoreReal-Time Takes: STARs – Success Stories Despite the Odds
Did you know that if you are at least 25, have a high-school diploma but not a four-year degree, and are currently active in the workforce, you are a STAR (Skilled Through Alternative Routes)?
Although over 50% of the workforce are STARs (more than 70 million people), the job market deliberately prioritizes and rewards those with degrees.1 Opportunity@Work, in partnership with the Ad Council, launched ‘Tear the Paper Ceiling’, a campaign dedicated to advancing opportunities for STARs. Their research finds that while 67% of job descriptions require a four-year degree, only 30% of positions truly need a degree.2 Despite the need for qualified workers, employers continue to prefer and demand candidates with four-year degrees over STARs with relevant experience and knowledge.
Read MoreOpportunity@Work Awards $2 Million to Organizations Accelerating Economic Mobility for Workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs)
NEWS PROVIDED BY Opportunity@Work Jun 25, 2024, 09:00 ET Read the full article at PR Newswire National nonprofit’s latest grant program recognizes eight training and talent development providers committed…
Read MoreYes, suspending driver’s licenses for unpaid debt is ‘absurd’: James Levin
A gavel is placed on its block in one of the courtrooms at the Cuyahoga County Court House, February 11, 2017.John Kuntz file photo | For cleveland.com Updated: Mar. 13,…
Read MoreLost Your License in Ohio Due to Debt? A New State Bill Might Fix That
A Marshall Project – Cleveland and News 5 report helped spark a bipartisan bill to end spiraling financial strain on hundreds of thousands of drivers. December 21, 2023 By Mark Puente,…
Read MoreBipartisan SB 37 addresses nightmarish Catch-22 of debt-driven license suspensions
Published: Dec. 11, 2023, 2:54 p.m. By Joi Carter and Jill Rizika Read the article on Cleveland.com Ohio employers and workers could receive an early holiday present through Senate Bill…
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