Greater Cleveland Partnership Looking To Expand Workforce And Housing

At the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s annual meeting this week, the regional chamber of commerce outlined its goals for the next few years. The focus will be on the workforce and on development outside downtown.

Partnership CEO Joe Roman says his organization has been focused on real estate and the city’s public schools.

“The last 5-to-7 years has probably seen as much improvement in many of those areas as the city has probably seen in the last 3 or 4 generations," says Roman.

So he says the partnership will dig into improving workforce training and expanding the development gains seen downtown to other parts of the city.

“Especially those around the Opportunity Corridor, for instance, the Hough neighborhoods, where we see some great potential, and the land available where you could really make some big changes in those neighborhoods, with the neighborhoods leading that effort," says Roman.

He says the challenge of matching worker skills with the needs of employers is a longstanding one.

“I really don’t think we’ve had somebody that was playing the quarterback role often enough and aggressive enough. We have to play a lead role in that respect," says Roman.

Roman says the Partnership will press colleges and high schools to focus more on worker training and support internship programs. 

The Greater Cleveland Partnership, which includes 8500 regional businesses, will complete its strategic plan during the summer.