Building a Model for Success

Cincinnati Works' model is a four step process. Our services are provided free to qualified, willing and capable participants – Cincinnati Works Members.

Step 1: Job Readiness

Members are required to attend the six-day Job Readiness Workshop. Topics include:

Step 2: Job Search

Structured assistance with job search includes access to our core group of Employers, Internet, application assistance and interview feedback until employed.

Step 3: Job Retention

Regular contact for at least one year with Member and Employer to help ensure employment retention. Re-employment services are provided following job loss.

Step 4: Advancement

Once the Member retains the same job for one year, staff assists with a plan to improve a skill, behavior or educational component to increase marketability and earning power.

Breaking Down Obstacles

For our Members, the ineffective breaking down of obstacles is a major impediment to employment retention. The Cincinnati Works approach offers trendsetting support services to help Members successfully manage these obstacles and include:

• Legal Advocacy
• Behavioral Counseling (mental health)
• Chaplain Services (like a hospital or airport chaplain)
• Child Care
• Transportation
• Educational/Advancement Resources

A Cincinnati Works Membership is a free, lifetime Membership as long as a person is working or looking for work. Moving from poverty to self-sufficiency is a process which often requires years to achieve and many obstacles to overcome.

Member Demographics

To keep our program and services current and relevant to our Members, Cincinnati Works compiles background data on each Member. A profile of our Membership demographics is listed below. For more detailed information, please contact us at 513.744.WORK (9675).

82% of Members have a high school diploma or GED.  67% of Members have children. 60% of Members suffer from depression and/or anxiety. 72% of Members rely upon public transportation. 10% of Members have a felony conviction. 

Employment Stabilization

The needs of the Employers are a strong emphasis in our curriculum, and Advancement is structured on improving a skill, behavior or educational component in order to be more marketable to the Employers. The overriding purpose of the Job Readiness/Retention program is employment stabilization – retaining a job for at least one year.

The purpose of the Advancement Services is to assist Members in increasing their wages to the self-sufficiency level for themselves and their families. We define self-sufficiency wages as 200% of federal poverty guidelines. The Advancement process takes from two to five years.

Staffing

Cincinnati Works' staff is comprised of 27 employees – some of which are Members of Cincinnati Works. We have 106 volunteers including 27 Board of Trustees, 12 Legal Advisory Committee Members, 12 Employer Visionary Committee Members, 13 Fundraising Advisory Committee Members, 15 mentors, 30 interviewers and one office assistant.

Board of Trustees and Executive Committee

Cincinnati Works has a governing Board of Trustees with an Executive Committee comprised of the Founders of the organization, the Officers and the past Chair. While the Board and the Executive Committees each meet monthly, the various Board Committees meet as necessary. The President reports directly to the Chair of the Board. An organizational chart depicts operational reporting mechanisms for the staff. We have no parent organization.

We are now working to reach more people living in poverty through program model replication, strategic alliances, social enterprises and community partnerships. We will be focusing our efforts in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

As word has spread about our success in helping people find and keep jobs, other cities have approached us about replicating our service model as they venture to eliminate poverty in their communities. We have already replicated our program through out the country.

If you are interested in using our program model to break the cycle of poverty in your community, please call David Phillips at 513.744.WORK (9675).