Our Work
Through strategic partnerships and forward-thinking initiatives, Midwest Urban Strategies tackles the distinct challenges facing urban communities—expanding access to opportunity and driving long-term, meaningful impact.
Building Stronger Communities Together
At Midwest Urban Strategies, we believe in the power of collaboration, innovation, and leadership to create lasting change. By working together, we strengthen communities, foster partnerships, and drive meaningful impact—building a better, more inclusive future for all.
Convenings, Learning Labs, and Events
At Midwest Urban Strategies (MUS), we host a dynamic range of convenings, learning labs, and events designed to advance innovation in workforce development.
These gatherings offer a collaborative platform for:
✅ Workforce development professionals
✅ Community partners
✅ Regional and national stakeholders
Together, we share best practices, explore innovative solutions, and work to address the most pressing challenges in workforce systems.
Featured Work
Reentry Workforce Capacity Network
Building local systems that turn reentry into opportunity
Reentry work is central to the identity and mission of MUS and the network of workforce boards, community organizations, employers, and justice system partners it convenes. For several years, MUS has served as a systems intermediary for multi-state initiatives designed to support individuals and families impacted by incarceration, beginning with early Pathway Home and Growth Opportunities grants and continuing today through Pathway Home 6 and Growth Opportunities 5. Across these efforts, MUS has built coordinated, trauma-informed networks that connect corrections, workforce systems, violence prevention, and community-based supports to create clear, supported pathways from incarceration to employment, stability, and economic mobility.
Grounded in a whole-person and whole-family approach, MUS’s reentry strategy recognizes that successful reintegration requires more than job placement alone. Through comprehensive case management, career exploration and training, employer partnerships, and access to housing, behavioral health, legal, and supportive services, MUS and its partners work to remove barriers, restore dignity, and strengthen community connections. By aligning systems, centering lived experience, and investing in long-term pathways to opportunity, MUS advances reentry as both a workforce solution and a community restoration strategy, helping individuals return home prepared not only to work, but to thrive.
Learn more about Reentry Workforce Capacity Network:
This work is built on a whole-person approach to reentry. Along with job readiness and occupational training, participants are connected to supportive services such as housing assistance, transportation, mental health and substance use services, legal support, and help securing identification and benefits. The local workforce boards workhand-in-hand with corrections and employer partners to ensure training aligns with real hiring needs and that participants are matched to careers with growth and stability. By strengthening coordination across systems and walking alongside individuals before and after release, Pathway Home 6 supports successful reintegration, reduces barriers to employment, and strengthens community well-being through economic mobility.
This work centers on a whole-person, trauma-informed approach that combines career exploration, education and training, paid work experience, and connections to in-demand jobs with critical supportive services. Participants receive comprehensive case management, mentoring, leadership development, and access to housing support, behavioral health services, transportation, and other resources that address the root causes of instability and violence. By aligning workforce systems with justice and community partners, Growth Opportunity 5 creates a coordinated network of support that helps young adults develop skills, earn credentials, secure employment, and move toward long-term stability, safety, and opportunity.
Investing in Early Childhood Education for Stronger Communities
Midwest Urban Strategies (MUS) recognizes high-quality childcare as essential to economic growth. Without it, workers struggle to stay employed, businesses face productivity challenges, and communities miss out on opportunities.
To help solve this, MUS partners with the Early Childhood Workforce Connector (ECWC) to strengthen and sustain a skilled, well-compensated early childhood education (ECE) workforce. A key part of this effort includes advancing registered apprenticeships providing structured, earn-and-learn pathways for early educators.
Together, we’re working to ensure families can access reliable childcare, parents can pursue meaningful careers, and communities benefit from a stable workforce and stronger economy.
Future: Work
Buckeye Medicaid and Martketplace Demonstration Project
Midwest Urban Strategies (MUS), in partnership with the Cuyahoga, Stark Tuscarawas, Franklin, and Hamilton Counties’ Workforce Boards, is collaborating with Buckeye Health Plan to support Medicaid and Marketplace members across Ohio in achieving sustainable employment. Through a series of regional demonstration projects, MUS will connect Buckeye members to workforce services designed to promote self-sufficiency, economic advancement, and long-term stability.
The primary objective of this initiative is to assist Buckeye Health Plan members in securing gainful employment. Workforce training, education, and supportive services such as childcare assistance, transportation support, rental relief, and technology access will be provided as complementary strategies to strengthen employment outcomes and remove barriers to success.
Advocacy
Advancing Workforce Development in the Midwest
Midwest Urban Strategies (MUS) is committed to strengthening workforce development across urban centers in the Midwest. We advocate for innovative solutions, address systemic employment barriers, and create opportunities for underserved populations.
Through collaborative partnerships with regional and national stakeholders, MUS works to drive economic growth and sustainability, ensuring both workers and employers thrive. By fostering workforce innovation, we help shape a more inclusive and prosperous future for the Midwest.
Technical Assistance and Regulatory Compliance
Midwest Urban Strategies (MUS) offers unparalleled expertise in workforce development, specializing in WIOA compliance, public funding, regulatory guidance, and performance metrics.
Our team ensures seamless alignment with federal and state workforce goals while fostering effective partnerships across regions.
MUS Works with: Training Providers, DOL Intermediaries, Workforce Development Boards, Non-Profits, and community-based organizations that would like to work within the public workforce system.
CLICK HERE to email Melanie Martin, Regional Workforce Connector