All-female class graduates from new workforce development program in Downtown Cleveland

CLEVELAND — It’s no secret Downtown Cleveland looks different these days after the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the area’s employers and business landscape.

But the Downtown workforce became a bit larger Friday morning after five women embarked on new career paths as part of their graduation from a new workforce development program.

The program is a partnership between the Oswald Companies, an insurance brokerage firm based in downtown Cleveland, and the non-profit Olivet Housing Community Development Corporation in the city’s Fairfax neighborhood.

As part of the partnership, candidates are given six months of on-the-job training and professional development courses across different disciplines to prepare them to enter the field of insurance upon their graduation.

Robert Klonk, the chairman and CEO of Oswald companies, said the apprenticeship nature of the program sets candidates up for success.

“Our employees are the instructors,” Klonk said. “So many of our employees teach them through this, and make sure they go through.”

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