By Lyndsey Kleven
Digital Works launched in June 2013 as Connect Ohio’s new initiative to help connect people to twenty-first century jobs. The program has put 153 Ohioans back to work over the past year, opening 10 Digital Works locations statewide.
“You get a lot of advertisements about free workshops and job training, but I haven’t really heard of a lot of places say that they’re job placement,” said Dustin Bollinger, Digital Works participant. “That was a pretty important distinction for me.”
The program is providing an avenue for communities to create a job incubator, retaining workers in the area and attracting corporate jobs. At the end of the training, workers are placed into available positions; all jobs pay above minimum wage and the training provides continued mentoring and opportunities for placement at levels for upward mobility.
“It’s more than just a liaison, it’s placement,” said William Conroy, Digital Works participant. “I have structure again in my life because I’m working. I am able to support myself again on my own and have independence again, which is a wonderful feeling to have.”
The Digital Works program brings jobs to small communities rather than trying to locate companies to these areas. The digital skills needed to complete these jobs are provided during the training process, ensuring that candidates have job placement.
“Adding the Digital Works training on applications to other programs really helps out,” said Gary Chandler, Digital Works participant. “It shows people, ‘he’s done training in this, evidently he’s dedicated into this field, so let’s give this guy a look.’ ”
Many candidates find comfort and encouragement in the mentoring provided from the site’s facilitators and from being around others who are going through the same struggles.
“It’s a confidence builder, it really helped me feel like I could actually work,” said Bollinger. “It’s nice to be able to say that I’m working. The flexibility is really important; I’m here now and I’m able to work and I’ll be able to work at home so I’d say Digital Works has doubled my expectations.”
“Anyone that wants to try the Digital Works program, I just hope that they do, because it’s an awesome program,” said Ashley Marshall, Digital Works participant.
Learn more at www.digitalworksjobs.org