Strategic Initiatives
STWDB leads strategic initiatives designed to address workforce challenges and opportunities unique to Stark and Tuscarawas counties.
These efforts allow us to respond to emerging workforce trends, strengthen regional partnerships, and invest in innovative solutions that support employers, job seekers, and the broader community.
Business Resource Network (BRN) brings together employer-serving organizations, using data to identify employer needs, identify workforce service gaps, reduce duplication, and improve coordination. This creates a stronger workforce system that helps businesses succeed, supports job seekers, and strengthens the local economy.
Pathways 2 Progress is a U.S. Department of Labor-funded reentry initiative led by Midwest Urban Strategies (MUS), with the Stark Tuscarawas Workforce Development Board serving as a local subrecipient. The program helps justice-involved individuals prepare for successful reentry through employment, training, and supportive services that promote long-term career success and economic stability.
Career Connect is a collaborative network of local organizations that provide workforce and career services, sharing resources, data, and best practices. Partners work together to help unemployed and underemployed individuals secure livable-wage employment. Established in 2020 through Strengthening Stark at the Stark Economic Development Board, the initiative began transitioning to STWDB in Program Year 2025 to further strengthen coordination across the regional workforce system.
Workforce Trends Dashboard shows current trends for our local workforce: how many people have the skills employers need, what jobs are in demand, and where there are gaps or overlaps. These insights support local strategic decision-making, smarter training investments, stronger services for job seekers and employers, and better alignment with local needs.
YouScience Student Aptitude & Career Discovery provide a comprehensive overview of the 16 YouScience career clusters, offering essential information for job seekers as they explore career options or seeking employment in our area.
EDA Recompete Consortium Grant is an ongoing community of practice created through a collaborative 2024 EDA RECOMPETE planning grant. The consortium brings together regional partners to align strategies, address workforce challenges, and expand opportunities for individuals facing barriers to employment.
Through these initiatives, we help expand workforce resources, improve collaboration, and create opportunities that support long-term economic growth across our region.
