City announces partnership with the Urban League on “Level-Up,” an employment program that will provide career-oriented jobs to hundreds of young people.   

Today on the steps of City Hall, the City of Cincinnati announced its partnership with the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio to provide a new youth employment program called Level Up: Launch your Career. This program will give over 200 young men and women access to not just jobs but with career-oriented credentialing in such industries as construction, healthcare, and information technology.  

Level Up: Launch your Career is an “earn as you learn,” program that will assist youth, ages 16-24, who want to pursue in demand careers in our region. Through a partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools, the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency, and Easter Seals, the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio will recruit, train, and match approximately 245 candidates in career-oriented positions over the course of a year. “This is an exciting opportunity for the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio to partner with the City of Cincinnati to help build a viable workforce for our city, “said Dorothy Smoot, Chief Impact Officer. 

Participants will be matched with an industry partner and receive a minimum of 12 weeks of paid work placement training while making $12 an hour for 20 hours of work per week. Each participant will be assigned a Job Coach, who will provide them with the support they need to succeed.     

A virtual career fair will be held May 19, 2021, from 10-11 a.m. For an application text: “UrbanLeague levelup” to 797979