Policy & Advocacy

We look forward to providing new updates on local and national trends and news in workforce development and how it pertains to the work we do at Towards Employment.

The TE policy agenda seeks to address persistent inequity and structural barriers that prevent job seekers from effectively participating in our labor market. We will do that through advocating for administrative and legislative policies that prepare unemployed and underemployed adults for projected job openings in NEO growth sectors; working to remove barriers to employment for individuals with criminal records and ensure that other systems are aligned to prevent individuals from losing out on career opportunities; supporting policies that ensure individuals, regardless of their zip code, have access to jobs with family sustaining wages; ensuring that as individuals obtain employment that they are on a path to career and advancement; as well as working to align and scale best practices through targeted investments and leveraged funding.

Updates

6.18.21: Public Statement from TE

At Towards Employment, we know from our work in policy and advocacy around criminal justice reform that Black people are 2.7 times as likely to be killed by police as White people, and unarmed Black Americans are roughly 5 times as likely as unarmed White Americans to be shot and killed by a police officer. From policing to sentencing to reentry, people of color are most likely to be arrested, charged, incarcerated, and the least likely to receive parole.

We see from our work connecting people to careers, which includes coaching them through the many barriers that exist on the road to economic self-sufficiency, that this disparity flows through every system of our society from criminal justice to health care, to education, to housing and to employment.  Since COVID-19, fewer than 50% of Black adults have a job.  Black workers make less money than White workers even when comparing those with similar education levels.  As of 2016, you would need to combine the net worth of 11.5 black households to get the net worth of a typical white US households. Read more about that statistic here.

Towards Employment is committed to creating opportunities for our staff, board, and participants to personally examine what we can each do to be a part of the change, and to strategize what we can do as a TE family to strengthen our fight for racial justice.  We know the first step for any individual or organization in this journey for racial justice is education. We have made commitments in the past, and will continue to resource and carve out time for our staff and board to participate in the Third Space Action Lab racial equity trainings and will continue to tap into and take advantage of the resources like those provided by the YWCA 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge; we have conducted a Race Matters organizational assessment followed up by deeper consultation to develop action plans that will enhance our ability to promote an explicit anti-racist culture and agenda.

We are also committed to walking alongside TE participants and graduates on their journey to build careers and access skills so that their dreams can become reality. We will continue to reach out to elected officials and the wider community to raise up the voices and experiences of TE participants and graduates to inform policy and legislative change.  This is our mission and our passion, shaped by past racial injustice.  We are invigorated to move forward empowered by the change happening around us.

Generation Work in Northeast Ohio

In Cuyahoga County, 1 out of every 7 people is an opportunity youth - a young person who isn't connected to work or school.  These young people are more likely to experience health problems, encounter the criminal justice system, lose significant earnings over their lifetime and are disproportionately people of color.  Bringing a racial equity and inclusion lens to employer engagement and training, positive youth development, and youth education, Generation Work is aligning workforce systems and leadership to provide better outcomes for Cuyahoga County's young people.

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Policy & Advocacy Blog

Policy Corner: June 2020

Policy Corner: We are following the following issues in the statehouse: Fines and fees related to driver’s license reinstatement Legislative Win! HB 285 has passed in the Ohio House and Senate! HB 285 will make permanent the Driver’s License Reinstatement Fee Debt Reduction and Amnesty Program. This is an important policy for Towards Employment participants.…

Read More about Policy Corner: June 2020

Workforce and the Digital Divide

Written by Bishara Addison, Senior Manager, Policy & Strategic Initiatives I find it hard to find words these days. There are so many crucial conversations that need to be had. In the midst of two public health crises – one new, and one that has existed under the surface for some while very apparent for…

Read More about Workforce and the Digital Divide

Recovery is an opportunity for a more inclusive economy

Written by Jill Rizika, originally published to Crain’s Cleveland Business on April 18, 2020 “Chris” came to Towards Employment underemployed due to a criminal record. Through a series of assessments, he discovered an aptitude for manufacturing. With a TE scholarship and ongoing coaching, he gained a CNC machining credential. Four years later, up until the…

Read More about Recovery is an opportunity for a more inclusive economy