The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Chris Canova during our Tuesday, October 5th Club Meeting. Chris has been with Tri-County Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates since 1993 and in 2002 became the Executive Director. He also serves as the CEO of Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates, the coordinating body for six state affiliates of Jobs for America’s Graduates.
What is JOG and does the program change lives?
- JOG is an affiliate of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG).
- JOG is a non-profit agency dedicated to eliminating student barriers, leading to the attainment of a HS diploma or it’s equivalent.
- JAG has delivered consistent, compelling results, helping over one million young people stay in school through graduation, pursue post-secondary education, apprenticeships and/or secure quality full-time employment leading to career advancement.
- JAG has 1,400 locations in 39 States
- Currently serves about 75,000 young people in middle and high school
- Works with high-school dropouts and “system-involved” young adults
How does JOG stack-up to the JAG five national standards for in-school programs?
National Standard | JOG Results |
• 90% graduate within a year | 92% in 2019 |
• 60% employed or enlisted in the military | 74% in 2019 |
• 80% in positive outcomes (enrolled, employed, and/or enlisted) | 82% in 2019 |
• 60% of those employed are working full-time | 78% in 2019 |
• 80% of those employed are in full-time placement (FT, TWE, MS) | 87% in 2019 |
Since 1987, Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) has helped youth with multiple barriers to successfully complete their education and successfully transition to employment at a livable wage or post-secondary job training.
How does JOG remove barriers for the youth they serve?
- Provide support and mentorship
- Establish relationships with employers willing to provide work opportunities and experiences
- Provide soft skills training
- Monitor a student’s educational progress and addressing any issues that could prevent graduation
- Offers drop-out recovery services
- Assist with job placement
- Provide financial literacy training
How can an employer contribute to JOG and the student’s success?
- Host a student in one of JOG’s subsidized work programs
- Offer company tours
- Off job shadowing
- Mentor a JOG student
- Establish an apprenticeship pipeline with a JOG student
- Volunteer for our leadership or career conference
- Donate financially
- Participate in “Like a Boss”
Chris also commented that employers can establish a pipeline for students transitioning into the workforce as a great way to build a business’ workforce. He also encouraged us to think of ways to engage their young people through one of JOG’s work programs to build our future workforce.
JOG has two different work programs, the Year-Round Work Program and the Summer Work Program
Year-Round Program:
- JOG is the Employer of Record
- JOG control all HR processes
- JOG cover all HR costs: Liability, workers comp, wages, etc.
- Employers may terminate JOG students
- Employers interview candidates, placement is typically determined by transportation barriers
- Employer must provide proper supervision.
Summer Work Program:
- JOG is the Employer of Record.
- JOG control all HR processes
- JOG cover all HR costs: Liability, Workers Comp, wages etc.
- Employers cannot terminate JOG students, but they can ask for them to be moved to a different job site
- Employers cannot interview candidates, placement is typically determined by transportation barriers
- Employer must provide proper supervision
Rotarians who might be interested in engaging any of these youths for their company workforce can contact Rochelle Mitchell, Summit County Coordinator at 330.374.9445 or Rmitchell@jogworks.org.
For more information on JOG, you can visit their website at www.jogworks.org
Yours in Service -
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary & Scholarship Chair
