Since September 2024, KRA has provided WIOA-funded Career, Business, and One-Stop Operator Services for Adult and Dislocated Workers through the OhioMeansJobs (OMJ) Career Center Network, with offices in Akron [Summit County] and Medina [Medina County].
Since January, both County programs have organized many highly effective Job Fairs—including multiple hiring events in May during In-Demand Jobs Week that resulted in a very successful OJT partnership with Giesecke & Devrient (G+D)—a German-based international-security IT company operating in the fields of digital security, financial platforms, and currency technology—interested in candidates for Inventory Control Clerk, Fulfillment Operator, CNC Operator, and IT Administrator positions.
KRA/OMJ Job Fairs—whether “open” for any business to participate, or “exclusive” for one employer, e.g., CVS or the USPS—produce demonstrable benefits for our employer-partners, providing efficient recruitment and screening processes that save time and resources in the hiring process, and facilitating interactions with a large pool of jobseekers for interviewing, making direct-hire offers, and identifying qualified candidates for specific OJT opportunities.
Tom Thornton, KRA/OMJ Business Services Manager, who leads and coaches our Business Services Representatives (BSR) in both Counties, comments, “Our partnership with G+D is proceeding extremely well: we placed 8 individuals into OJT opportunities during the fiscal year (FY) ending 6/30/2025 and are already tracking five more in the FY ending 6/30/26. One OJT candidate started last month, with the other four scheduled to start later this month or early September.
Melvin Jackson, KRA/OMJ Career Services Manager, who leads the Career Services Team and who has been instrumental in the success of the G+D program, emphasizes, “G+D is investing in local talent and providing opportunities for growth, not only enhancing their own operations, but contributing to the overall economic health of Summit County.
“This collaborative approach serves as a model for other regions looking to strengthen their workforce and support local employment, creating a ripple effect of job growth and economic stability in the region. These efforts highlight the importance of community collaboration in building a robust and resilient workforce.”
Learn more about the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) On-the-Job Training (OJT) program as a workforce-development strategy that helps jobseekers earn wages while learning a new profession, and gain skills and experience while working for employers that are reimbursed for a portion of the training costs.
If your agency or organization would like to learn more about On-The Job Training , or other skill-building programs that benefit both jobseekers and employers, please contact KRA.