FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2022
CONTACT
info@talentcollaborativeGC.org
Regional Workforce Collaborative Launches, Becomes Part of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions’ Network
CINCINNATI – The Talent Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati, a regional tri-state workforce development initiative, joins the National Fund for Workforce Solutions network of 34 communities across the U.S. seeking to improve workforce outcomes. The National Fund offers leading-edge resources, best practices, and thought leadership to help benchmark and accelerate efforts, with an emphasis on equity and inclusion.
The Talent Collaborative will hold a special Launch Event at 9 a.m. on Thursday, August 25 at OTR Stillhouse (2017 Branch St., Cincinnati, OH 45214) with special guest Amanda Cage, president and CEO of The National Fund for Workforce Solutions, along with local elected officials and community leaders. The Launch Event is sponsored by Duke Energy.
The vision of The Talent Collaborative is for the Greater Cincinnati region to strengthen and expand opportunities for people to advance in careers that enable their individual and family success, engage with area education/training providers and organized labor, as well as foster the success of employers with high-quality employment practices to make a positive impact on the economic growth of the entire region.
Rather than duplicating or replacing the region’s workforce development services, The Talent Collaborative will serve as an inclusive network to help provide more synergy among the tri-state’s workforce development organizations, build capacity among service providers, and promote a greater collective impact of the workforce system that serves the region’s job seekers and employers. The Talent Collaborative, through the National Fund’s network, will have access to innovative tools and privately-funded resources to help promote inclusive prosperity in our communities through impactful workforce development collaboration.
The Collaborative’s founding members include Brighton Center, The Health Collaborative, the Northern Kentucky Workforce Investment Board, The Southwest Ohio Region Workforce Investment Board, and The Workforce Innovation Center at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. However, all regional organizations providing workforce development services are invited to participate, including, but not limited to education, community-based organizations, workforce providers, organized labor, and business-industry partners.
“Joining The National Fund for Workforce Solutions will enhance our collective impact in the workforce continuum across Greater Cincinnati,” said Jason Ashbrook, executive director of the Southwest Ohio Region Workforce Investment Board and the 2022 chair of the Collaborative. “Our region is home to many exceptional organizations that provide critical workforce services to job seekers and employers in our communities. The Talent Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati will help strengthen the existing workforce ecosystem by creating more opportunities for collaboration and innovation among workforce partners, while emphasizing the benefits of equity and career mobility in our regional economy.”
“The launch of The Talent Collaborative in the Cincinnati region enables many strong organizations to continue their work together and leverage their strengths in service to improving our local economy for workers, employers and the partners that support them,” said Audrey Treasure, executive director at the Workforce Innovation Center. “The Workforce Innovation Center at the Cincinnati Chamber is thrilled to be a part of this dynamic group and further support our efforts to make inclusive capitalism a reality for more people.”
“The Health Collaborative envisions a community that is healthy by design, where our region’s healthcare employers and employees thrive. Becoming a National Fund for Workforce Solutions site is a positive and necessary step toward creating this future,” said Hope Arthur, director of workforce innovation at The Health Collaborative. “Our work with The National Fund, The Talent Collaborative’s founding partners, and all the other regional stakeholders is our best way forward to achieving systems-level change, racial and gender equity, and economic growth for individuals, businesses, and the region.”
“The Northern Kentucky Workforce Investment Board (NKWIB) and staff appreciate the opportunities that participation in The Talent Collaborative with organizations from across the region provide to our eight counties and the employers and job seekers who we serve,” said Tara Johnson-Noem, executive director of the Northern Kentucky Area Development District, which staffs and serves as fiscal agent for the NKWIB. “Designation by The National Fund provides additional momentum to this robust partnership, and we look forward to the positive impact this will make in our communities.”
“Now, more than ever, our region’s employers need access to the most cutting-edge solutions to meet their labor demands. At the same time, workers in our community need us to understand the complexity of their lives, including what factors help or hinder their ability to get and keep quality family-sustaining jobs,” said Talia Frye, vice president at Brighton Center. “The National Fund for Workforce Solutions connects our community to the most innovative and comprehensive best practices our nation has to offer.”
A key priority of The Collaborative is establishing a community-wide dashboard to measure key metrics related to the success of individual employees, employers, and the economic health of the community as a whole. The Talent Collaborative will focus on creating opportunities for community members and partnering with additional organizations focusing on racial equity and economic self-sufficiency.
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About The Talent Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati
The Talent Collaborative serves as an inclusive network to help provide synergy and collaboration among the tri-state’s workforce development organizations, build capacity among service providers, and promote a greater collective impact of the workforce system serving seekers and employers. For more information, contact info@talentcollaborativeGC.org
About National Fund for Workforce Solutions
The National Fund for Workforce Solutions invests in a dynamic national network of 34+ communities taking a demand-driven, evidence-based approach to workforce development. At the local level, the National Fund’s partner organizations contribute resources, test ideas, collect data, and improve public policies and business practices that help all workers succeed and employers have the talent they need to compete. Learn more at www.NationalFund.org.
