OhioMeansJobs Washington County and OhioMeansJobs Meigs County were also awarded grants.
“All three of these centers excel at providing innovative and proactive services to help veterans find meaningful jobs with employers who value their skills and abilities,” Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director Matt Damschroder said.
Clark County will use the award to create a dedicated veterans’ space in its resource room and further expand services, Clark County OMJ Administrator Bonnie VanGorden said.
Funding must be spent by the end of September, VanGorden said, so improvements should be completed or near complete by then.
VanGorden, a veteran, said educating staff who did not serve in the military on veteran-specific needs is crucial to providing comprehensive services, as is partnering with other “veteran-focused organizations” to refer people to resources.
The local OMJ provides a wide variety of services for veterans, including assistance moving into civilian employment, career development, disabled veteran services, access to employment professionals, priority of service, job search assistance, and resume and interview support, VanGorden said.
“Veterans and non-veterans share many of the same employment and life needs but ... the military experience creates some distinct and more complex needs, especially during that transition to civilian life,” VanGorden said.
These challenges include help translating military skills into civilian language, understanding civilian workplace culture, converting military training into college credit or certifications, rebuilding a sense of purpose outside of military service and the loss of camaraderie.
The existing resource room is accessible to all and has computers and printing capabilities. With grant funds, VanGorden said the room will have a more “opening and welcome concept design” for all.
The veteran-specific area will have partitions for more privacy and veteran resources. VanGorden said this is still in the planning stages.
From July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, VanGorden said the office served 56 veterans, providing 2,389 services. She said she’d like to grow this further in part by more marketing and outreach, which will in part take place on social media.
OMJ has an SMS platform to allow it to text customers and VanGorden said the are working on a veteran-specific platform.
Over the last two years, Clark County OMJ staff has “grown stronger” and continuously participated in trainings to understand veteran situations beyond employment needs.
“Veterans need more than just a checklist and paperwork; they actually need committed professionals who see them as individuals and who are willing to go that extra mile to ensure that they can succeed,” VanGorden said.
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