Raise the Bar Hancock County has launched an Adult Workforce Exploration and Readiness Program.

Hancock County ranked the highest in wages among all 88 Ohio counties for the 2nd Quarter 2022 (Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages). Raise the Bar wants people to access and be prepared for these well-paying jobs and to keep the local economy thriving.

One step in this workforce development strategy involves helping people find the right job with the right employer. Nationally publicized recruitment and retention reports highlight the importance of aligning a person’s interests, passions, and abilities to employment options. Unfortunately, many adults do not know which careers best align with their skillsets, and they find themselves constantly searching for the right fit or becoming less productive in the workplace. To support individuals in their journey toward gainful employment with local employers, Raise the Bar has launched its Adult Workforce Exploration and Readiness Program.

“This pilot program fills a previously missing piece in Hancock County’s workforce development equation,” said Tricia Valasek, Raise the Bar executive director. “This program can help students who withdraw from college because they don’t know what they want to be, adults who feel their job isn’t a match for them, or people who need to land on their two feet. We are proud to offer this complimentary service, and we hope it puts individuals on the right path to becoming and staying employed locally.”

Raise the Bar’s program, via a generous grant from the AT&T Foundation, serves vulnerable under, and unemployed adults. Individuals must be referred to this program (www.raisethebarhancock.org/assessment-referral), and ideal participants are between 18-45 years of age; able to independently read and use technology; supported by mentors, coaches, caseworkers, educators, etc.; and ready for employment.

All program participants complete an in-person interest, value, and aptitude assessment, the same multi-step process used by Millstream Career Center to assess local high school students. A career assessment specialist and the participant review the results, and then each participant begins a phase of career discovery using an online learning platform called Pathful Explore. Raise the Bar intends for people completing the program to be primed with knowledge of the right careers for them, an understanding of what they value in the workplace, refined job readiness skills like writing a resume and interviewing, and awareness of career options in Hancock County.

Learn more about Raise the Bar Hancock County by clicking here for their website.