Q.  What is the Southwest Ohio Workforce Development System? 
A.  The Southwest Ohio Workforce Development System is a collaborative approach to strengthening and expanding the region’s workforce resources by consolidating many publicly funded employment services into one coordinated system. The goal is to provide a strong, skilled, and agile workforce that’s essential to attract and retain business in Cincinnati and Hamilton County. This consolidated response serves the employment needs of the entire community, from job preparation for youth workers to outplacement services and advanced training for highly skilled and highly paid professionals.   

Q.  Why do we need a Workforce Development System? 
A.  The challenge is clear. According to a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey, 51% of those businesses surveyed say it is hard or very hard to find qualified applicants for job openings. Increasingly, American companies need well-educated and highly skilled workers as our knowledge-based economy continues to evolve. That’s particularly true in the Midwest, where projected population shifts suggest that every worker may be needed to meet the future labor demands of business and industry. 
The Workforce Development System recognizes the critical importance of human intellectual capital and helps develop a well-trained, knowledgeable workforce for an information economy, while also providing entry-level workers with the skills required for the future. It provides a proactive response to global competition by enhancing the capabilities of the American workforce, and builds on the region’s diversity through increased inclusion of youth, the chronically unemployed or underemployed individuals, and workers with disabilities.

Q.  Who oversees the Workforce System?  
A.  Overall direction and oversight for the System is provided by the Southwest Ohio Region Investment Board (SWORWIB), an organization that engages employers, employees, organized labor, government, education, and community-based organizations in a workforce development collaboration. The SWORWIB is comprised primarily of representatives of business, education, labor, and training providers, as well as local elected officials from the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.   

Q.  How is the Workforce System funded? 
A.  The Workforce System is supported primarily by federal funds authorized through the Workforce Investment Act along with contributions from workforce partner agencies, businesses, and foundations. The federal funds are funneled through the State of Ohio to local governments.

Economic Benefits for the Entire Community
A comprehensive approach to workforce development

Q.  How do employers benefit? 
A.  The Southwest Ohio Workforce Development System helps provide businesses with new sources for job applicants, along with a more diverse pool of applicants. It may also provide customized training for current employees that can result in increased productivity and a more stable employee base. It also enhances a company’s bottom line with cost savings related to recruitment and reduced turnover, as well as the direct benefits of tax credits for some workers. 

Q.  How do local governments benefit?
A. Local governments enjoy increased  tax revenues generated by new or better jobs for previously unemployed or underemployed citizens, and the accompanying business growth. And as poverty is reduced, so are public assistance costs. 

Q.  How do  training providers benefit? 
A.  Through the One-Stop Centers, training providers can reach a broader market for customized training. 

Q  How does the region benefit? 
A. The Workforce Development System ultimately benefits our entire region by improving the overall business climate. With a more skilled and better trained workforce,  businesses are more successful—assuring economic growth, inclusion for our diverse population, and prosperity for all citizens.