Scranton Road Ministries Changes Lives Through Workforce Development Initiative

Scranton Road Ministries is working to change the lives of urban young adults, spur economic growth in the community and create the next generation of leaders through Youth Jobs Partnership (YJP).

Scranton Road Ministries Youth Jobs Partnership

As a response to a graduation rate in the community of just under 60%, Scranton Road Ministries developed a program to assist Cleveland’s most vulnerable residents with an outcomes-driven workforce development initiative. That program, called the Youth Jobs Partnership (YJP), has provided 7,939 Cleveland young adults, ages 16-22, with comprehensive job training and placement services. In addition, the initiative has provided college preparation, transition services, professional development, mentorship opportunities and business education.

YJP aims to create value for the community by developing indigenous leaders and providing them with marketable skills for success, implemented with operational efficiency, while demonstrating significant results.

This year, YJP set a goal to provide 875-900 Cleveland young adults with a comprehensive portfolio of workforce development services, by offering foundational, advanced and business training at Cleveland Metropolitan Schools and on-site at Scranton Road Ministries.

In addition to demonstrable gains in aptitude from participants, expected outcomes included a significant contribution in increasing high school attendance, graduation, and matriculation rates within the CMSD schools. For example, 71% of YJP In-School participants, and 94% of YJP Advanced-Training participants graduated high school, amidst a community-wide 59% graduation rate. Past participants in the program also showed an “11% increase in resume writing ability, 24% increase in personal finance skills, 13% increase in interviewing skills, and 22% increase in conflict resolution, according to diagnostic tests,” explains the Scranton Road Ministries website.

While the future may seem bleak for hundreds of young adults in the ethnically diverse Clark-Fulton, Tremont West and Detroit Shoreway neighborhoods of Cleveland, YJP is working to transform them into a highly-competent workforce with a solid work ethic, and then transition each graduate into gainful employment or further training.

The Callahan Foundation is proud to support the Youth Jobs Partnership as they continue to change the lives of urban young adults, spur economic growth in the community and create the next generation of leaders.