On July 1, some exciting changes will happen at Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) that will allow the organization to better focus its resources on helping members of the Jewish community move out of unemployment and achieve their career goals.

As you may know, JVS has historically divided its work into two areas:

• Job search and career development services for unemployed and underemployed individuals
• Vocational, educational and related services for individuals with disabilities

The newly renamed JVS Career Services will concentrate its resources on expanding the programs currently offered through the Cincinnati Career Network, as well as maintaining the Hilb scholarship program for college students. These programs will continue to be supported by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s Community Campaign, the JVS Foundation and other resources.

Jewish Federation of Cincinnati President Andy Berger said, “JVS Career Services will be well positioned to play a key role in helping our Jewish community meet the career and business opportunity goals of Cincinnati 2020.”

Cincinnati 2020 is a long-term strategic plan to transform Cincinnati into a model Jewish community. Currently, JVS is playing a key role on two active teams—Career-Business Innovation and Connecting College Students—as they work to address needs set forth as priorities.

JVS’s publicly funded programs for individuals with developmental disabilities—including the VIP Program, which specifically serves members of the Jewish community—will be combined with the Easter Seals Work Resource Center to become Easter Seals TriState. This combination of two independently strong organizations will create one of the largest vocational service providers in the region, serving more than 15,000 individuals with disabilities or disadvantages, at-risk youth and veterans.

For the foreseeable future, Peter Bloch, the current CEO of Jewish Vocational Service, will serve as the CEO of JVS Career Services and as the executive vice president for integration of Easter Seals TriState.

Shep Englander, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati CEO, said, “We are excited about these changes. Cincinnatians, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have been hit by the high unemployment and underemployment rates, and our college students struggle to find jobs after graduation. Those issues, when left unaddressed, can multiply into poverty, hunger and homelessness. The creation of JVS Career Services means that more resources will be put toward tackling these problems earlier, with the goal of avoiding such complications and allowing us to move our community forward to a brighter future.”

Jewish Vocational Service formed in 1940 to provide Jewish refugees and other members of the Jewish community with vocational guidance and job placement while combating religious workplace discrimination. Representatives from the United Jewish Social Agencies, the Jewish Community Center, B’nai B’rith, the American Jewish Congress and the German Refugee Employment Committee founded the organization. As it evolved and grew throughout the 20th century, JVS came to serve the entire community without regard to religious affiliation or belief while focusing on individuals with developmental disabilities, senior citizens with developmental disabilities and those in need of career skill training and education.