COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With Ohio’s unemployment rate increasing and the fear of layoffs in nearly every office, many Central Ohioans are considering going back to school.
Last April, when Ranell McClendon lost her job at Eddie Bauer, she had no idea she would be getting prepared for a new career, NBC 4’s Mikaela Hunt reported.
But now, after taking training courses, she’s ready to take on the world and her next job.
“I’ve been a straight-A student,” McClendon said. “This is the best thing that could have come my way.”
The Ohio Workforce Coalition knows what McClendon has been through doesn’t come easy.
“It’s fairly intimidating for some adults to go back to school. So we’ve looked at what best practices are in Ohio and around the country,” said Bobbie Garber, of the Ohio Workforce Coalition.
The group is trying to find better ways to serve adults and get them money for job training in a weak economy.
Job Leaders in Columbus is doing the same thing. They’re asking the jobless to do some searching on their own.
“If that’s not working, we would have them sit down with a career counselor or a coach,” said Suzanne Coleman-Tolbert, of Job Leaders.
That’s where individual training account dollars come in. A person talking to Job Leaders or a one-stop job center in their county is eligible for up to $8,000 in training money over a two-year period or $2,000 in supportive service money if you need to buy tools and resources for your new trade or career.
The money is coming through the Department of Labor and new stimulus dollars.
You can also check in with your local university or community college. Columbus State Community College has a similar scholarship program.
For more information on the CSCC program for scholarship money for adult students 25 and older, visit http://www.cscc.edu/thinkagain/Scholarships.html.
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