As you may know, the Digital Works program received an appropriation from the Ohio General Assembly, administered as a grant through the Ohio Developmental Services Agency, to operate facilities in various rural Ohio communities that reflected a need for digital literacy and online job opportunities and possessed a strong base of community support for such an initiative. These grant funds were awarded for the 2015 calendar year and covered the many expenses associated with operating a Digital Works training and public computing center. As that funding period has come to an end, it is with regret that I inform you that the Digital Works facilities in Logan, Lynchburg, and West Union will be closing their doors effective January 15, 2016, following the Portsmouth facility closure January 4, 2016, and the Middleport facility closure in November 2015. This also affects nine Digital Works staff member positions.
In Ohio, Digital Works will continue to operate two facilities in Columbus and one in Gallipolis. These three locations have partnerships in place that provide a portion of operating assistance.
While the necessary closure of these Ohio Digital Works facilities, which have been a workforce development and career-building staple in their communities, is disappointing, the program continues to aid job seekers.
The Digital Works program continues to connect people with modern jobs in parts of Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Texas. In addition, Digital Works has partnered with Mississippi State University Extension and will begin offering the program in two cities in Mississippi in February 2016. The program has also recently partnered with Alliance Professional Services, LLC to offer the SSA national Ticket to Work program.
We are proud that Digital Works has helped more than 600 people secure jobs, many of which are online and work is completed from the comfort of a home office. We are proud to help facilitate amazing stories of success like Iesha and Joel.