In 2003, several of Cleveland’s leading business organizations undertook a rigorous self-examination to consider how they could most effectively address the community’s economic challenges — chiefly the need to boost rates of job and wealth creation while supporting and enhancing the existing employment base. To answer this question, the Greater Cleveland Partnership hired AngelouEconomics to create a workforce development strategy to direct the Partnership’s future workforce development agenda. The study covers an eight-county Region that includes the cities of Cleveland and Akron.

AngelouEconomics conducted an online survey of local employers, workforce providers, and residents to gauge their opinions on workforce development in Cleveland. The results were compiled with economic data to develop a vision of what the Region’s workforce development system will look like in 5-10 years.

The strategy offers the Partnership recommendations on how to improve the system to better meet the needs of employers and job seekers, and define the role the Greater Cleveland Partnership should play in workforce development. When implemented, the strategies in this plan will help strengthen the current system of educating and training the region’s population, and in so doing will improve the future economic outlook for Northeast Ohio.