Under the Workforce Investment Act of 1988, each state is required to maintain a one-stop delivery system that provides supportive services and easy access to information about job vacancies, career options, employment trends, and job-search opportunities. Our one-stop OhioMeansJobs–Summit County Center offers a path to economic independence by addressing the diverse needs of job seekers and helping them to find and retain employment that will lead to self-sufficiency, family stability, and stronger communities.

Summit and Medina Workforce Area Council of Governments (SAMWA COG)

Work Activities

Federal and state rules require able-bodied adults receiving OWF cash assistance to participate in a work activity. OhioMeansJobs–Summit County staff evaluate clients for work readiness. Clients may be assigned to SCOPE (Summit County Occupational Preparation Experience), education and training at approved educational institutions, or classes at the OhioMeansJobs–Summit County Center.

The purpose of these assignments is to aid the client in becoming self-sufficient before his or her lifetime three-year limit for cash assistance expires. Clients who are successful in their assignments may qualify for placement at an external Work Experience Program (WEP) site, where they will further enhance their job-readiness skills.

SCOPE

SCOPE (Summit County Occupational Preparation Experience) is the first assignment for most work-required individuals. Housed in the Ohio Means Jobs Center, SCOPE provides a supervised work environment where clients carry out light work projects such as piecework or assembly.

The SCOPE environment is intended to teach clients the importance of arriving at a worksite on time, dressing appropriately, and communicating effectively with supervisors and co-workers.

The SCOPE experience also gives the SCDJFS assessment staff a chance to observe the work quality, attendance, and attitude of participants. If, after three to four weeks, good attendance and work quality are observed, clients may be re-assigned to an external WEP site, where they will continue to hone their work skills, earn a good reference to put on their resumes, and continue to progress toward self-sufficiency. Transportation supports such as bus passes and other allowances may also be available.

WEP

The goal of the Work Experience Program (WEP) is to enable participants to develop work skills that will enhance their ability to obtain and retain employment and work toward a better job. Example WEP assignments include internships as part of a training program, volunteer work, hands-on training in a specific occupational skill, and placement at a public, private, or non-profit organization.