COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus City Council is sponsoring an ordinance to create a new $2 million workforce development grant program called Career500.

It’s designed to provide funding for workforce development programs to enable them to recruit, serve and graduate 500 or more Columbus residents. 

A city’s growth impacts everything and that includes jobs. Columbus City Council collaborated with The Ohio State University and Aspyr, which used to be known as the Workforce Development Board of central Ohio to create a new grant program. It’s $2 million that will be used toward different workforce development programs in Columbus. 

Applications for career500 will launch this fall and programs who qualify can receive money as early as January 2025. President pro tem Rob Dorans said this new program will make life more stable for some Columbus residents.

“To give them the opportunity to upskill, connect them to work, first of all, program that will hopefully get them in a better quality job career that will come with increased economic benefits, higher wages, better health care, better retirement benefits, which is how we know we build stability for so many of our neighbors in Columbus,” said Columbus City Council President pro tem Rob Dorans. 

With the Columbus job growth expected to be twice that of other Midwest cities, Career500 will not only build wealth for local families but also boost the city’s economy.