Towards Employment grows footprint to meet rising job placement needs in Northeast Ohio

By Douglas J. Guth
June 27, 2025
Read the full article at The Land

Towards Employment executive director Jill Rizika cuts the ribbon for the job training group’s expanded facility at 3301 St. Clair Ave. [Photos courtesy of Towards Employment]
Towards Employment executive director Jill Rizika cuts the ribbon for the job training group’s expanded facility at 3301 St. Clair Ave. [Photos courtesy of Towards Employment]

Cleveland workforce organization Towards Employment thrives on its belief in others, with Laurel Ridenour’s experience standing as testament to this organizational mantra. After Ridenour’s relapse into addiction led to an arrest for possession, her career coach, Dan Garven, promptly visited her in jail.

“I’m like, ‘Why are you here?’,” says Ridenour. “He said ‘I wanted to check in on you. We believe in second chances, and third, fourth and fifth chances.’ I’ve  had a lot of chances, but he still supported me.”

Thanks to the unwavering encouragement from Dan and the Towards Employment team, Ridenour found her calling as a family peer mentor with Medina County Job and Family Services. Ridenour’s story is far from unique and the employment assistance nonprofit is now widening its scope to help individuals in similar situations.

In mid-May, Towards Employment unveiled key additions to its facility at 3301 St. Clair Ave. in Cleveland. The expansion addresses a regional demand for job placement, providing four new training rooms, more interview spaces and the added convenience of free parking and a nearby bus stop.

This significant transformation coincides with a surge in training, placement and job advancement metrics, notes Towards Employment Executive Director Jill Rizika, who has led the organization for the past 22 years. In 2024, over 2,100 people utilized the nonprofit’s career pathway services  – 561 started new jobs, while another 1,500 received job search support to boost career readiness.  A 23% uptick from 2023, due to increased resident interest along with a larger suite of programming, Rizika says.

Generally, Towards Employment provides participants with job training opportunities and direct connections to employers. Having more space is an opportunity for the Cleveland workforce group to amplify its community influence, says Rizika.

“We wanted to continue that growth, and to have a facility that allows us to meet that flow of job seekers,” she says.  “There is a direct impact with the expansion, as quality of the facility means more people feel comfortable and welcome here.”

Forging a path to success

New training and technology will be part of Toward Employment’s augmented suite of services.
New training and technology will be part of Toward Employment’s augmented suite of services.

Towards Employment moved from Playhouse Square to the St. Clair – Superior neighborhood in Nov. 2022. Yet the space, originally chosen with COVID-19’s work-at-home limitations in mind, soon became too small for regular operations. The relocation of a fellow tenant provided the nonprofit with an ideal chance to increase its footprint, Rizika says.

The expansion arrives after the successful completion of a $5.2 million capacity campaign that scaled up programming and staff support. Interactive work spaces, equipped with smart boards and updated audio-visual technology, will supplement outside training with workforce partners like Cleveland’s Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network.

The entirety of this effort is in service of reducing barriers to work, whether child care needs or lack of access to transportation. Known as the social determinants of work, removing these obstacles is the long-term focus of workforce and social service organizations such as Towards Employment, The Centers and United Way of Greater Cleveland.

Simply put, a challenging past shouldn’t dictate someone’s entire future. With a background marked by abuse, addiction and imprisonment, Towards Employment graduate Ridenour powerfully embodies this principle, says Rizika.

After years of instability, Ridenour didn’t just desire a job, but a meaningful, long-term career.

With indispensable help from Towards Employment, Ridenour worked at the former Bloom Bakery on Public Square. She was then brought on by the organization in a secretarial role, which was cut during the pandemic.

Ridenour has found a more permanent path as a full-time peer mentor, where she walks alongside families impacted by substance use disorder. The position, along with Towards Employment’s support, has given Ridenour the self-worth she lacked in her youth, she says.

“I love the families I work with,” Ridenour says. “I get to see them grow, and prevent what  happened to me. The praise, compassion and understanding from Towards Employment was huge. It made me feel like someone cared about my life. If they care about me, then I should care about myself.”

In light of federal funding cuts for human services, stories like Ridenour’s become even more important, says Rizika.

“The other part of our investment into the expansion is bringing more attention to our alumni network,” Rizika says. “Let’s get these lived experiences out to policymakers.”

Towards Employment graduate Laurel Ridenour, center, says the Cleveland workforce organization believed in her when few others did.
Towards Employment graduate Laurel Ridenour, center, says the Cleveland workforce organization believed in her when few others did.

The growth of the nonprofit’s headquarters is another powerful demonstration of the urgent need for workforce services, she says.

“Being in this line of work, it’s a passion, and it’s personal,” says Rizika. “We have to put one foot in front of the other, and compartmentalize instead of panic. But we are seeing those successes. Let’s continue to serve those who are in front of us.”