By Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com Reporter
MOUNT VERNON — Reporting to the Knox County Commissioners on Monday, Diana Williams, director of Ohio Means Jobs Knox Center (also known as Opportunity Knox), said the workforce development division continues to have success as well as face challenges.
The special projects crew has generated $518.25 through the recycling of electronics in 2016, harvested and delivered to the county’s hot meal program more than 162 pounds of produce from the community garden, and made and sold 10 sets of Knox-Zee!, a yard game similar to a giant Yahtzee game. Other projects include cleaning the Knox County Fairgrounds before and after the fair, painting and maintaining various county buildings, assisting with furniture pickup and delivery for HopeNow Furniture Bank and landscaping and lawn care for county properties.
Members of the special projects crew are participants in the OWF (Ohio Work Force) and FA (food assistance) programs earning their required work experience program hours. Members of the cleaning/janitorial crew can achieve certification through the Spartan CleanCheck Janitorial Certification Program.
“We try to do the least amount of ‘busy work’ and instead give people valuable skills,” said Matthew Kurtz, director of the Knox County Job & Family Services. “It’s not busy work because it’s actually contributing back to the community.”
Williams said the resource room continues to be “on fire” with an average of 30 visits a day; between three and five are first-time visitors. Many visitors are looking for a second job because their first job is entry level and on a lower pay scale.
Local employers posted an average of 22 new jobs per month; positions include STNA/home health, retail, delivery drivers and production. The average wage of the positions posted is $10 to $11 per hour. An average of 105 positions have been filled thus far in 2016. Employers use the building to interview prospective employees.
Kurtz said that with an unemployment rate of around 4.5 percent, the county is as close as it has ever been to full employment. “It’s hard to find quality folks [to place] because the quality folks are employed,” he said. “We are left with real challenges now.”
Challenges to placement continue to be day care, mental issues and substance abuse issues. Williams said the focus is on developing partnerships with organizations such as Behavioral Health Partners, the Freedom Center and TouchePoint. A new partnership is with the Mount Vernon Athletic Boosters, developing soft skills such as eye contact and a firm handshake. The group meets during the school lunch hour. Another new endeavor is a work development group in conjunction with the Area Development Foundation.
“I think we have a very good chance of changing peoples lives through small programs,” she said.
Williams also said that Opportunity Knox will receive a $28,650 grant from the Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County. The money, applied for by Randy Canterbury of Knox County Recycling and Litter Prevention, will be used to buy a compactor to recycle commercial Styrofoam. She anticipates it will be 60 to 90 days before the electrical wiring is completed for the compactor. Lowe’s and Pak Mail have already expressed an interest in recycling their Styrofoam, and Williams said a buyer has already been found for the recycled Styrofoam bricks.