Digital Works jobs program in jeopardy

Future job creation opportunities in Lynchburg appear to be in jeopardy, Highland County commissioners were told at their Wednesday, Feb. 19 board meeting.

Stu Johnson, executive director of Connect Ohio, Heather Delany, Ohio Digital Works operations manager, and Joel Pierre, facilitator for the Digital Works facility in Lynchburg, met this week with commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeremy Shaffer and expressed concerns over a perceived lack of cooperation within the Highland County Department of Job and Family Services.

The first-year goal of Digital Works is to train a minimum of 75 people in the Highland and Clinton County areas. At the end of the training, each person who completes the program is guaranteed a job, according to the Appalachian Gateway Development Board, which held its first meeting on Oct. 22, 2013.

Digital Works is operating in a Southern Hills Community Bank building in the 200 block of North Main Street, across from the Lynchburg Post Office.

According to Pierre, the year-one economic impact for the region could be between $2 million and $2.6 million.

However, with more than 200 interested people in the "pipeline" for potential employment, Digital Works is encountering funding issues for the $3,140 cost of the training program.

"The challenges in Lynchburg concern me," Johnson told commissioners. "There's only one measure of success – and that's a paycheck (for new workers)."

Johnson and Pierre said the problem is with the WIA (Workforce Investment Act) application process, during which several potential program enrollees are neither confirmed nor denied for the $3,140 enrollment fee.

"One hundred and some people are in the pipeline that are pending," Johnson said. "If that is the perception of the program, we're doomed. I need to get them approved or denied."

"Who is approving or denying them?" Horst asked.

"JFS (Highland County Job and Family Services) and Rick (Thompson of the Highland County Employment Center)," Pierre answered.

"If there's a problem on our end, I don't know," Johnson said. He added that other communities, notably Norwalk, often approve the applicants on site.

"We've worked with some JFS caseworkers and we start them tomorrow," Johnson said. "A lot of these people are already beaten down with too many barriers."

Two current workers who went through the Digital Works program, Amy Bashore and Laura Warner, provided local testimonials to the program.

"To me, it's the perfect job," Bashore said. "You're basically your own boss. I think it's a great program."

Bashore previously worked at ABX in Wilmington.

Warner told commissioners that, as a single mother, "This allows me to work around my daughter's schedule and on weekends."

The program's graduates are working as customer service representatives – online and on the telephone – for many well-known national companies.

"We help our participants acquire the skills to become employed," Johnson said. "We have relationships with three national employers."

Wilkin asked how many participants the Digital Works program needed per month in order to continue.

Johnson said they needed funding for at least four to five per month.

"You're looking at $150,000 (annually) from WIA?" Wilkin asked.

Johnson explained that a class size of six, which may include a scholarship student, is necessary to maintain the Lynchburg operation.

"I'm interested in jobs," Johnson said. "Anything else that we spend our time on is just noise to me."

"We could really impact our community in a positive way," Pierre said.

Heather Delany, Ohio Digital Works operations manager, said the ultimate goal is 15 jobs per month (180 jobs per year).

The Highland and Clinton County region is among the state's highest in longterm unemployment.

Hillsboro resident Barb Cole, a former member of the Appalachian Gateway Development Board, said: "As a community, we have to ask 'What are we willing to do to support these jobs?'

"You have a program right here that provides jobs and keep people in our community," Cole said. "Why can't we be a center for customer service representatives?"

"What are you asking from us?" Wilkin asked Johnson.

"Anything from a JFS process would be great," Johnson said.

Pierre also said there have been scheduling issues with JFS for a meeting room for potential participants in the program. They are supposed to have a room reserved every Tuesday until June, he said. "The last two weeks we haven't had a room."

"As I've said at our community meetings, 'no' is an answer," Johnson told the board. 'No' is fine. It's not for every community. People who need our help shouldn't be stuck in such nonsense. We just need to cover costs."

Commissioners took no action on the request for assistance and excused Johnson for their scheduled 10 a.m. meeting with Buckeye Energy Brokers, Inc.

About Digital Works

Digital Works is an initiative of Connected Nation, Inc. the parent organization of Connect Ohio, whose Every Community Online program has trained over 120,000 individuals. Digital Works merged with a highly successful working model in Tennessee supporting national companies putting hundreds to work in the most economically challenged areas.