Overview

Using local labor market data to direct adult learners to their best route to education and employment.

Partnering with local researchers, Cleveland Talent Hub identifies in-demand jobs and equity gaps in filling them. Using this information, the Hub supports adult students in the region and directs them to appropriate programs leading to good employment opportunities. The Hub works with area universities to identify stop-out students who might be interested in returning to college, reaching out to them, and helping them find support (both financial and academic) so that they can complete their programs efficiently.

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People

John Holcomb, Jr., Ph.D
Interim Vice Provost for Academic Programs
Peter Meiksins, Ph.D.,
Professor Emeritus of Sociology
Jacob Duritsky
Vice President, Strategy & Research, Team Northeast Ohio
Bailey Capelle
Director, Grant Development

Outcomes

1,406

MAP database

MAP database: designed to be used by direct service providers with students of all ages to understand and compare the training and education programs that lead to Northeast Ohio’s in-demand occupations. Maintained by College Now, free access for any adult-serving agency or school district. (1,406 programs, 190 in-demand occupations, 426 training providers, 422 users)

2,000

Direct Service

College Now’s Adult Programs and Services team serves approximately 2,000 adults annually. 30% successfully enrolled.

7%

Reconnect to College

Reconnect to College: College Now partners with Cleveland State University and the University of Akron to reach out to and support their former students who did not graduate to restart their educational pathway. Historically, College Now has assisted 7% of the 1,000 students it contacts to reenroll. 70 students enrolling for 6 credit hours = $350,000 of tuition, for one semester!

Key Initiatives

The Ohio College Comeback Compact

A regional collaborative of eight public colleges and universities, the Ohio Department of Higher Education, Ithaka S+R, and College Now Greater Cleveland, the Ohio Compact is an innovative program allowing students to return to one of the participating institutions despite owing institutional debt that likely resulted in a transcript hold. As students make progress towards their degree or certificate, they are eligible to receive up to $5,000 in debt forgiveness plus the release of their transcript.

Since launching in August 2022, the Ohio Compact institutions have directly reached out to more than 8,000 eligible students, and hundreds of those students have met with advisors to discuss re-enrollment. Over 900 individuals logged their interest through the Compact website. At least 60 students have already committed to return to college, and many more are anticipated to re-enroll for spring 2023. In large part, the success of the Ohio Compact is due to high-quality partnerships across the state.

Partners

Cleveland State University
is a public research institution founded in 1964 that provides a dynamic setting for Engaged Learning. With nearly 16,000 students, ten colleges and schools and more than 175 academic programs, CSU was again chosen for 2021 as one of America’s best universities by U.S. News & World Report, including the #1 public university in Ohio for social mobility. Find more information at www.csuohio.edu.
College Now Greater Cleveland
is one of the nation’s oldest and largest college access organizations and is committed to increasing postsecondary educational attainment through college and career access advising, financial aid counseling, and scholarship and retention services. College Now serves approximately 31,000 students each year and has awarded $84 million in scholarships since inception. Learn more at www.collegenowgc.org.