Press Release: Towards Employment has a Grand Story to Tell
For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Adaora Schmiedl
216-696-7310
aschmiedl@towardsemployment.org
May 6, 2025 - CLEVELAND – Towards Employment is thrilled to announce a Grand Opening to celebrate the completed expansion of its main training facility on 3301 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland Ohio. The celebration opens TE’s doors to the public on Wednesday May 14 from 4-8PM with a ribbon-cutting at 6PM and features refreshments from neighborhood restaurants, an interactive tour of the training classrooms, and the opportunity to visit with staff and alumni.
In its 49th year, Towards Employment has a story to tell: an expanded home, successful completion of a $5.2 million Chance to Advance capacity campaign, and a renewed commitment to community engagement and innovative partnerships. Training, placement and advancement numbers have rebounded post-pandemic: in 2024, over 2,000 people came through the TE doors to receive career pathway services – 561 of these people started new jobs, 1500 people received support to build and advance in a career, over 300 people gained new skills through industry-recognized credentials, and 160 people advanced in their careers with new responsibilities and increased wages (with an average advanced wage of over $18/hr).
“Our new space in the St. Clair – Superior neighborhood provides a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our impact in the community,” says Jill Rizika, who has led the organization for the past 22 years. “We grew from 30 to 70 staff members over the last 2 decades, and it was time for a move from downtown into the neighborhood. This new space is more accessible to residents and has allowed us to incorporate updated technology and interactive workspaces to keep connecting and supporting people in careers.”
The 3301 St. Clair space has 4 training classrooms, a multipurpose room for group orientations and coaching, 3 conference rooms, and 6 interview rooms – with free parking and a bus stop right on the corner.
After an initial move in November 2022, Towards Employment had the opportunity to expand into newly vacated space and the full transformation was completed last month. Board chair John Allerding notes, “The board made a commitment to a capacity campaign to increase Towards Employment’s ability to meet the needs of Greater Clevelanders seeking economic mobility. Looking to the future, more training space was needed as well as updated technology to position Towards Employment to be able to respond and embrace innovative partnerships and to bring cutting edge workforce practice to Cleveland. With early foundational commitment by Nordson Corporation, Yield Giving (established and funded by Mackenzie Scott), and a recent gift from KeyBank Foundation, we were able to confidently expand space to give more Clevelanders ‘A Chance to Advance.’”
Chance to Advance Campaign chairperson Carrie Rosenfelt emphasizes this sense of purpose: “The full scope of the benefits of our Chance to Advance Campaign will be difficult to measure. There are a lot of indirect benefits and ripple effects we expect to be felt throughout our community. But Towards Employment’s increased capacity, and the resulting increase in economic mobility through connecting to jobs and fostering career advancement, is alone anticipated to add more than $21 million in above-minimum average wages to our city.”
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About Towards Employment: We champion the potential of every person to succeed in a rewarding career and work to strengthen policies that provide pathways to opportunity for all workers. Learn more about our work at www.towardsemployment.org. See all funders to the Chance to Advance Campaign at www.towardsemployment.org/chancetoadvance/#supporters
