The Skills to Succeed Campaign

The Skills to Succeed Campaign is a defining moment in our history.

As the largest campaign to date, it will secure the College's legacy of promoting individual development and improve the overall quality of life in our multicultural community.

With the priorities identified in The Skills to Succeed Campaign, Tri-C is developing the future leaders and problem solvers of tomorrow.

Imagine Our Future

The Skills to Succeed Campaign focuses on unlocking the potential of our region’s overlooked talent by preparing all students for jobs of the future. Grounded in the challenges of unemployment, the skills gap, and racial inequities, this effort connects with residents of Northeast Ohio who are underrepresented in the workforce.

Together, with the support and commitment of our partners, alumni and friends, we can achieve this campaign’s full promise: to meet people where they are, ensure workforce education is affordable and attainable, prepare people for life-changing work, and connect students to employers in key industries.

The Strategy: Building a Skilled and Available Workforce

In 2019, Tri-C collaborated with community partners to set a strategic vision that would help Cleveland thrive. These four funding pillars champion an education system focused on accessible, affordable education:

Learn more about each funding pillar's priorities for impact:

Access

Meeting people where they live and work

Access provides an entry point to the power and the value of a Tri-C education through youth programs and bringing training into our core communities.

While the College welcomes everyone, we must continue to expand access so that all people can participate in what Tri-C offers. Philanthropy plays a critical role in ensuring Tri-C can offer community programs at no cost to participants. Investments in outreach improve access to inclusive educational opportunities that drive economic growth and close the equity gap.

Impact snapshot:

• Extraordinary gifts from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, the Cleveland Foundation, PNC Foundation, and Bank of America have transformed the way the Northeast Ohio community can access Tri-C through youth programs.
  
  
• A Mt. Sinai Health Foundation grant and a federally funded partnership with MetroHealth will train community health workers for this growing health care career.

Support

Making workforce education accessible and affordable

Tuition scholarships and holistic support ensures our students can be successful.

We must continue to dramatically increase the financial resources and wraparound support available so that more students can earn workforce certificates, degrees and credentials and fill the high-demand jobs in our region. Philanthropy enables Tri-C to proactively address barriers to success and provide streamlined resources that students need in and outside of the classroom.

Impact snapshot:

• Transformational investments from Char and Chuck Fowler, Medical Mutual, and Ann and Lou Frangos have established three new food pantries on Tri-C’s Metro, West, and Westshore Campuses.
  
  
• Thanks to the support of generous donors such as PNC Foundation and many others, Tri-C has bolstered wraparound support for students including scholarships, emergency relief, and basic needs support.

Train

Preparing people for life-changing work

Tri-C is training a new generation of skilled workers — one that is large enough and diverse enough to close our region’s talent gap.

There is a disconnect in Northeast Ohio between unfilled, good paying jobs and community members who lack the training needed for these openings. Now more than ever, the region faces a growing need to educate and train people to fill future jobs. Through targeted certificate and credential programs, we can put people to work and meet employer needs.

Impact snapshot:

• A historic $2 million grant from KeyBank will grow innovative, accessible workforce training at Tri-C. This commitment is a crucial step to address employment and earnings gaps in Cleveland. Funding focuses on students under-represented in the workforce.

Employ

Connecting students with employers and good jobs

Tri-C students represent an immense talent pool for employers.

With enhanced capacity to engage industry partners, we are ensuring they are no longer overlooked. We must amplify our career-focused services to source on-the-job learning opportunities, internships, and employment to better serve our students, graduates and employer partners.

Impact snapshot:

• Nearly $1 million raised to support experiential learning opportunities such as internships, apprenticeships, and fellowships.
• Thanks to the generosity of the St. Luke’s Foundation and Reinberger Foundation, Tri-C has connected with 50+ new employers to facilitate micro-internship programs which have resulted in job pathways and skill building opportunities.
• The Demetriou Family Learn and Earn program ensures students learn in-demand skills while still earning a living wage.
• The Goldman Sachs 10KSB fellowship program brings together students and small businesses to solve today’s workforce needs.

To date, The Skills to Succeed Campaign has raised over $50 million to support student access, equity and success.

We are grateful to our donors who are making this historic impact possible. View the complete list of donors.

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In The News

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