CLEVELAND — If you are thinking about making a career change, now may be the time to do so as companies throughout Northeast Ohio work to fill unprecedented job openings.
“They're desperate to find talent. So it's like, what? What do they need to do to get people in their doors? Maybe it's increasing wages. Maybe it's offering that bonus to attract people,” said Frank Bricker from Ohio Means Jobs.
Bricker said among the in-demand jobs are healthcare careers.
“So I know that the hospitals are desperate. You know, they want talent and get more people interested in health careers, great paying jobs,” he said.
Other high-demand jobs include hospitality and restaurant workers, truck drivers and manufacturing.
“Soft skills are so critical. We hear that from employers all the time,” Bricker said.
In July, Gregory Stocker told us his job loss led him into a different career he never thought was possible.
“I was working for a major retailer in their technology department. I lost my job due to the pandemic a lot like a lot of other people did,” he said.
After applying for several jobs, he wasn’t getting anywhere so he signed up for a free 16-week program at Lorain County Community College.
“I felt like got my resume maybe was missing a few spots, like I needed some help,” he said.
He just completed that program and now he has a new job that offers tuition reimbursement. His next goal is to get his bachelor’s degree.
Bricker said many companies are now willing to offer incentives just like tuition reimbursement to get hire and keep employees.
“So I know it's something that employers are looking to also to remove barriers. You know, just having good accessible daycare, that's a challenge, you know, for many employers,” Bricker said.
There are thousands of open jobs in Ohio that pay at least $50,000. Click here to access the Ohio Means Jobs website.
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