Assembly for Workforce Solutions Marks One Year of Action-Oriented Collaboration

The Assembly for Workforce Solutions (AWS) committee convened Monday at Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries’ main offices in Liberty to celebrate the one-year milestone of its Steering Committee and reflect on a year defined by action, collaboration, and measurable progress toward reducing barriers to workforce participation across the Mahoning Valley.

Launched to strengthen alignment across workforce, health, and human service systems, AWS has spent its first year moving beyond conversation and into coordinated implementation. The Steering Committee anniversary marked a year of tangible outcomes driven by shared purpose and trust among partners.

“AWS was intentionally designed to be a coalition of action,” said Carol Holmes-Chambers, Goodwill’s Community Solutions Director. “This work is about solving real challenges for real people by working together differently.”

AWS continues to advance several strategic priorities through focused subcommittees that address key drivers of workforce participation and long-standing service fragmentation. These include transportation access, childcare availability, behavioral health supports, and reentry services for individuals involved in the justice system. Each subcommittee brings together cross-sector partners to identify barriers, test solutions, and scale what works.

A distinguishing feature of AWS’s approach is its ongoing commitment to centering community voice and lived expertise. The Community Advisors group plays a critical role in shaping priorities, informing design, and ensuring that initiatives reflect the realities of individuals and families most impacted by system barriers. Their insight helps keep the work grounded, responsive, and accountable.

Progress also continues on the Community Solutions Campus of the Valley, an ambitious collaborative effort aimed at better aligning workforce development, healthcare, and human services within one coordinated, place-based ecosystem. The model is designed to reduce complexity for residents while improving system efficiency through intentional co-location and coordination.

In parallel, AWS partners are expanding the Social Information Exchange Network (SIEN) through the Unite Us platform. This expansion strengthens cross-sector coordination by enabling shared referrals, closed-loop feedback, and real-time collaboration among providers, helping reduce duplication of effort and improve outcomes for individuals navigating multiple systems.

Throughout the meeting, members reinforced a shared belief that the Mahoning Valley already possesses the resources, expertise, and innovative leadership needed to meet its workforce challenges. The work of AWS is about intentionally bringing those assets together, breaking down silos, and moving from parallel efforts to true alignment.

After one year, AWS continues to demonstrate that when organizations work together rather than separately, new possib

ilities emerge for individuals seeking employment, families striving for stability, and the region as a whole.

“This isn’t just about workforce participation,” Holmes-Chambers said. “It’s about community well-being. When systems align and barriers are reduced, the entire Mahoning Valley benefits.”

To learn more, visit goodwillyoungstown.org/aws.