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There isn’t a single path to success, but many ways to find well-paying work that you enjoy. Below, you will find community resources, vetted training programs, and more information on careers and career preparation for in-demand careers such as nurses, electricians, computer network administrators, machinists and dental assistants.

In addition to Getting to Work: Smart Money above from partner station CET, see the rest of the Getting to Work series here:  Getting to Work: Job Centers;  Getting to Work: Community Colleges; Getting to Work: Ohio Technical Centers; and Getting to Work: In-Demand Careers.  Also from CET, see the following Finding Your Pathway videos:  Finding Your Pathway: Career Exploration; Finding Your Pathway: College Isn't The Only Option; Finding Your Pathway: Diesel Forklift Mechanic; Finding Your Pathway: Understanding Credentials; Finding Your Pathway: Today's Career and Technical Education; Finding Your Pathway: Apprenticeships; and Finding Your Pathway: Professional Skills.

Building a business network is key to learning the industry and finding your passion. The Many Degrees of Building Your Business Network provides insight from a young adult who currently is building a professional network during remote times. 

Educational Resources for use with Young Entrepreneurs:  Resources to bring entrepreneurship education to teachers, parents, and students from the Ohio Afterschool Network (OAN), Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI) Cleveland, and Ohio Career Readiness Network. These resources include 45-minute lessons introducing entrepreneurship and links to more free resources for a deeper look. Here are some great Northeast Ohio pitches.

Stuck @ Home StartUp:  A webinar for teens, parents and friends to start a biz and build an empire - without changing out of their PJ's. The webinar is hosted by Shaan Patel, Brian Weisfeld, Jeannine Glista, and Moziah Bridges.

Participants will learn how to: 

1. Develop an entrepreneurial mindset and come up with a great idea

2. Market and sell their product when stuck at home

3. Make a profit by getting the pricing right, and being creative with expenses

Marketplace: Apprenticeship programs could help solve labor market woes

Kevin O'Connor connects the work of This Old House with American Graduate Getting to Work and the ideastream website to connect the ideastream community with work resources.

Frontline Special, In The Age of AI on WVIZ/PBS 

IN THE AGE OF AI investigates the promise and perils of artificial intelligence, from fears about work and privacy to rivalry between the U.S. and China. The documentary traces a new industrial revolution that will reshape and disrupt our lives, our jobs and our world, and allow the emergence of the surveillance society.

Journey to Jobs

JOURNEY TO JOBS is a one-hour special, presented as part of the American Graduate: Getting to Work initiative, public media’s commitment to help communities illuminate pathways to gainful employment in America. JOURNEY TO JOBS is hosted by PBS Newshour’s Hari Sreenivasan from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City. Hari will take viewers across the country, highlighting individuals and organizations who are connecting job seekers to employment at each stop.

Nine Network: Two Cents

Many young people are looking to trade or career and technical (vocational) school as a lucrative alternative to a four-year degree. But which trades offer the most bang for your buck?

Meet two teachers from an Ohio Career and Technical School discussing their programs pre-COVID-19 and now from American Graduate partner station WOSU.

COVID-19 forced Career-Technical Schools to face the new reality of online teaching. C-TEC Licking County is one of many nearby Career-Technical Schools where students enroll for a hands-on learning experience. So how do you continue a "hands-on" teaching model remotely? Season Richards and Kyle Fulton are both instructors at C-TEC Licking County. They spoke with WOSU's Leticia Wiggins on how they've transitioned to online learning and what the job market looks like for their students. This interview is conducted as part of the American Graduate: Getting to Work initiative and is viewable here.

Meet Grace

A little training goes a long way! If you're looking for a career, see why Grace recommends getting into a trade in this video from American Graduate participants WHRO.

Mynextmove.org is an excellent free tool for browsing jobs. For each career, it lists the job outlook, salary range, education requirements, where to find local training programs, and open positions in your area. It also has a free online service that will match you to potential careers based on your interests.

The Ohio Department of Higher Education put together an interactive map of all Ohio public universities, branch campuses, community colleges, and career technical centers, so you can see what institutions are in your neighborhood.

Career technical centers train students in skills that prepare them for certain industries, such as the construction trades, software development, computer programming, cosmetology, and more. There is a center that serves every public high school community in Ohio, and classes are available to high schoolers for free or low-cost. Adult education is also offered (fees apply unless there is an open space in a high school class and an adult wishes to fill it). Find the career technical center in your region.

Ohio Means Jobs, Ohio Department of Education, and Ohio Department of Higher Education provide sample career pathways that show how you can get to the job you want. The following are a few pathways that they have outlined:

• Dental Assistant
• Information Technology (includes Network Administration)
• Health Science (includes Licensed Practical Nurse)
• Law & Public Safety (include Emergency Medical Technician)
• Construction Technologies (includes Electrical)
• Marketing (includes Customer Service Representative)
• Automotive Technology
• Electro-Mechanical Engineer
• Electrician Apprentice
• Insurance Claims Representative
• Computer User Support Specialist
• Manufacturing Technologies

Find more career pathways from the Ohio Department of Education. Some pathways can begin as early as 7th grade.

Apprenticeship programs provide an opportunity for individuals to learn and earn. These are on-the-job training programs in various in-demand industries such as pipe-fitting, carpentry, and electrical work. Below are resources for finding an apprenticeship:

• Apprenticeship Ohio
• Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board
• ACT Ohio (Affiliated Construction Trades)

Community colleges can offer a less expensive way to earn certificates and degrees that qualify you for jobs you might want. Northeast Ohio community colleges offer many different programs in various in-demand industries. Find one near you on this map.

Anyone aged 14 and above can access over a dozen employment and training programs in “one-stop” at Ohio Means Jobs| Cleveland-Cuyahoga County located at 1910 Carnegie Ave. in downtown Cleveland. Services are free for those who qualify and include:

• Preparation and testing for the High School Equivalent (e.g., GED)
• Matching jobseekers to jobs – about 4,000 placed each year
• Funding career technical training for skills that are in demand
• Career counseling, resume development, job readiness training, skills assessment
• Recruitment of talent for businesses that are hiring
• Special services for those aged 14-24

If you have more resources to share, please contact celena.roebuck@ideastream.org.

The Glenville Shootout, which played out from 23 through the 28 July, 1968, happened after decades of changes in Cleveland, changes that triggered racial tensions. On the 50th anniversary of the shootout in this east side Cleveland neighborhood, ideastream produced a series of stories looking back at the events of that week in 1968 and we heard from two former residents about their hopes for the neighborhood's future. 

We will be compiling a rolling list of companies, agencies and groups that are offering support to furloughed government workers across Ohio but with a special focus on Northeast Ohio. If your organization or company wants to be included in the list, please email us. 

Utilities

 First Energy Ohio: Special payment options. 

• Ohio Edison: 1-800-633-4766
• Toledo Edison: 1-800-447-333
• The Illuminating Co: 1-800-589-3101

​Dominion Energy Ohio is offering "flexible winter bill payment options."

• Dominion customers who have an online Dominion account can make arrangements on the account (www.dominionenergy.com) or they can call the company at 1-800-362-7557.

Columbia Gas of Ohio:

• Payment Plans – Plans to help make home energy costs more manageable.
• Winter Reconnect Order – A program to have service restored or maintained with a payment of $175 plus a small reconnection fee.
• Low-income energy assistance programs available through local community action agencies or Salvation Army chapters.
• Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus) – Option for households at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guideline.
• Budget Payment Plan. Waive late fees and extended payment options.
• Columbia asks that customers call 800-344-4077 to inquire about payment options.

Financial Services

United Consumer Financial Service will defer monthly payments for 30 days.

• Contact: 1-800-338-6507

Stock Yards Bank & Trust: Customers can apply for 90-day, no-fee, interest-free loan of $1500.

•  Contact: 800-625-9066

Fifth Third Bank is offering credit and loan assistance.

• For personal loans and credit solutions, call 866-601-6391 from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET, Mon.–Fri., and from 8 a.m.–12 p.m. ET, Sat.
• For mortgage loans and lines of credit, call 866-601-6391 from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET, Mon.–Fri.
• For Business Banking support, call 877-534-2264 from 7 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, Mon.–Fri., and 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. ET, Sat. Or email bbgsupport@53.com.

Summit County Treasurer is offering property tax extensions to furloughed workers.

• Request an extension by Feb. 15 by calling 330-643-8472 or emailing summittreas@summitoh.net 

​Lucas County Treasurer is offering property tax extension to furloughed workers.

• Contact: 419-213-4303 or treasurer@co.lucas.oh.us

Hebrew Free Loan Association of Northeast Ohio is offering interest-free micro-loans up to $10,000

Food

Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Inc.: Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Inc. is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank: Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

Romano's Macaroni Grill: For every day the government shutdown is in effect, Macaroni Grill is offering all furloughed federal government employees a free Mom's Ricotta Meatballs and Spaghetti.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop: Government workers can get a buy-one-get-one free sandwich deal Wednesday, Jan. 23 to Sunday, Jan. 27 when they show a federal government ID.

Freestore Foodbank: Freestore Foodbank is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

Senate Restaurant: The restaurant is offering to feed all federal employees and their children for free at both their Over-the-Rhine and Blue Ash locations.

Cincinnati Public Schools: Cincinnati Public Schools: Families affected by the shutdown may qualify for free or reduced meal plans for their children. Registration online. Questions, 513-363-0800

The Foodbank, Inc.: The Foodbank, Inc. is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

Shared Harvest Foodbank: Shared Harvest Foodbank is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

Mid-Ohio Foodbank: Mid-Ohio Foodbank is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

West Ohio Food Bank: West Ohio Food Bank is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

SE Ohio Foodbank: SE Ohio Foodbank is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio: Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

Second Harvest Foodbank of Clark, Champaign, & Logan Counties: Second Harvest Foodbank of Clark, Champaign, & Logan Counties is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank: Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley: Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley is offering food assistance to all furloughed workers affected by the government shutdown.

Health

TriHealth: Will not ask for co-pays if patients alert staff they are a government employee at time of service. Billing for those services will be delayed until the shutdown ends.

Retail and Services

Tanger Outlets: Now through January 28th, Tanger Outlets is offering a free $20 Gift Card to impacted government employees.

The Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst presented the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Concert at beautiful Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 14, 2018. For more than 35 years, this Cleveland tradition has remained a deeply moving and inspiring community celebration that honors the life and legacy of Dr. King.

Providing further significance, the 2018 concert also marked the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s death, and it took place during The Cleveland Orchestra’s 100th anniversary season. Music performed featured classical selections by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Verdi as well as traditional hymns and spirituals including “Down by the Riverside,” “Precious Lord,” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

The Cleveland Orchestra was joined for this stirring performance by concert host James Pickens, Jr., a Cleveland native who is best known for his portayal of Dr. Richard Webber on Grey’s Anatomy. The concert also featured guest soloist Ryan Speedo Green, called “a show stopper” by The New York Times, and The Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Chorus — an all-Cleveland community volunteer chorus — directed by William Henry Caldwell.

For the first time, WVIZ/PBS ideastream, a long-time community partner with The Cleveland Orchestra, recorded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Concert and has made it available online and for broadcast on all TV stations in Ohio.

This entry represents a portion of the hour-long show.

The Cuyahoga River is so much more than a fire that occurred nearly 50 years ago. It lives and breathes, supplies us with life, recreation, and employment -- along with so much more. In the first of a multi-part series, Rick Jackson explores the various parts of the river and how it affects our lives. In this chapter, Rick begins at its headwaters to explore the wildlife in the region. He then travels south to see how the Cuyahoga’s water becomes Akron’s water supply. Then, he finally stops by R.Shea Brewing to see how that water is brewed into beer.

The Cuyahoga River is so much more than a fire that occurred nearly 50 years ago. It lives and breathes, supplies us with life, recreation, and employment — along with so much more.

Rick Jackson explores the various parts of the river and how it affects our lives. In this chapter, Rick begins at its headwaters to explore the wildlife in the region. He then travels south to see how the Cuyahoga’s water becomes Akron’s water supply. Then, he finally stops by R.Shea Brewing to see how that water is brewed into beer.