Narrative: c.

ES staff plays a key role in providing reemployment assistance to UI claimants and other unemployed individuals, and that assistance is delivered through a variety of methods.

First and foremost, all UI claimants are required to register in the State’s primary job matching tool, OhioMeansJobs.com. This ensures all claimants have access to resources that will assist them in finding employment. This site also includes a comprehensive array of information, resources, and assessment tools designed to meet the needs of individuals who lack a clear career goal as well as to advanced jobseekers who know what they want and just need to know where to find the job opportunities. Individuals can create a personal profile that keeps all their information, job leads, assessment results, and related information in one location. This is a state-of-the-art system that is constantly evolving to keep up with new technology, new resources, and tools that all jobseekers, claimants, or universal customers need.

Ohio continued to improve the RESEA programs to not only meet the Federal requirements but emphasize quality of the services delivered. The RESEA program serves transitioning veterans receiving UI benefits as Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service Members (UCX) and claimants likely to exhaust their UI benefits. In March 2021, the delivery of RESEA was transitioned to the local workforce development areas. With this transition, RESEA is delivered in all 20 local workforce development areas and in all 88 counties. Once an UI claimant completes the RESEA program, ES staff provide additional career and follow-up services based on the needs of the claimant.

Claimants also attend an OhioMeansJobs Center orientation conducted by OhioMeansJobs Center partners/ locals to learn about additional services available through other stakeholders such as WIOA, Aspire, Ohio Department of Aging (ODA), Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), and faith-based resources.

ES staff members are involved in serving the general population through a variety of ways, depending upon staff levels and existing resources at the OhioMeansJobs Centers. Typical reemployment activities include supporting the Resource Room, where assistance is provided to individuals without regard of program eligibility and the delivery of workshops including interview preparation and resume writing. Additionally, ES staff members may conduct job clubs or boot camps providing attendees with a comprehensive and focused job search curriculum, mock interviews, and job placement activities. These activities are open for all job-ready candidates through referrals from partners to ES staff members. This approach fosters integration of programs, co-enrollment and strengthens the partnerships among all partners at the OhioMeansJobs Centers.

ES staff also assists with Rapid Response events in most areas of the State, helping impacted workers find new jobs. Workers who are not interested in training, but rather need to get back to work as quickly as possible are often assisted by ES staff.

Ohio has also integrated Labor Exchange Workforce Specialists within the local OhioMeansJobs Center service delivery system. A Labor Exchange Workforce Specialist is assigned to each comprehensive OhioMeansJobs center to increase the capacity of the Business Service Teams.  These staff focus their activities on conducing OhioMeansJobs.com help sessions; assisting at job fairs and hiring events; resume mining OhioMeansJobs.com and connecting employers with jobseekers.

Ohio also continues to place an increase emphasis on integrating ES team members within the local OhioMeansJobs center delivery system. ES staff continue to provide services to job seekers who are part of a special population and/or have significant employment barriers to re-enter the job force. Ohio recognizes a customer centered approach is essential to meet the customer’s individual needs and to use technology to provide necessary services.