Pilot job program making progress

The Elyria Works Now! job placement program for Elyria residents, which kicked off in September, has helped 12 individuals find jobs through four of the city’s major manufacturing companies.

Mayor Holly Brinda said 311 Elyria residents have registered for the program through its website.

Three months into the pilot program which ends in March, Brinda said the number of people who registered shows there’s “clearly an interest” in those seeking jobs or needing assistance.

Brinda said 59 of those who have registered have gone through information sessions, and 36 of the 59 have gone through the

total training program.

The remaining 23 are halfway through the process, she said.

Required steps for participants in the program, in no order, are to: go to the website and register; go through an information session; make a commitment to the program; sign up with a career coach; develop a career plan; identify strengths and weaknesses; create a resume; go through training; and then apply for the job.

With the pilot at its halfway point, the 12 out of

13 residents have landed jobs with Multilink, Elyria Foundry, Dura-line and United Initiators, Brinda said.

“It’s a very good sign that these companies are responding positively and that we’re able to provide some folks with the skills that they need for these entry level positions,” she said.

Creating an opportunity for resident came about after community leaders and the Bloomberg Foundation discussed the city’s most challenging issue, which resulted in the response: jobs.

After working together for 18 months, the city, several nonprofits and organizations

created Elyria Works Now! to close the gap between the number of jobs in the city and those who needed help getting them.

Brinda has said the effort also is designed to reduce the city’s 22.2 percent poverty rate over time, build a pipeline of entrylevel workers for underserved target industries beginning with manufacturing and help more residents leverage living wage jobs with benefits.

The original goal was to have at least 100 residents hired through the program by the end of the year, but Brinda said the key is get as many as possible employed during the holidays.

Some participants in the program still are going through the interview process until the holidays are over, she said.

Elyria Works Now! will pick back up in January to March, Brinda said.

“We’re very hopeful that more and more folks get through this,” she said. “We weren’t sure of what kind of a response we were going to get.

“We’re pleased with the initial interest. Now, the challenge is getting folks through the education and training program.”