Aspiring to impact workforce development
Cuyahoga County Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
Greater Cleveland Aspire creates an environment for adult learners to develop quality educational and life skills, as well as the confidence to reach for and achieve their personal goals.
Headquartered at Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL)’s Maple Heights Branch, the program provides free comprehensive adult education services throughout the county. It is collaboration between CCPL, the Cleveland Public Library and the Cuyahoga County government. The program gets support from the Ohio Department of Education and United Way.
Instructors teach morning, afternoon, evening and weekend classes at multiple locations. Online classes are available. Individualized instruction includes:
• Increasing workplace basic education skills (reading, writing, math and problem solving)
• Preparing for certification testing
• Increasing employability skills
• Learning English as a second language
• Earning a High School Equivalence/GED® test credential
• Preparing to enter post-secondary education
Challenge/Opportunity
In Cuyahoga County, educational needs vary greatly by individual community.
Having a multi-faceted workforce development program that can adapt to a unique combination of needs, and be available at multiple times, days and locations is key to making an impact for its customers. Today, Aspire offers free educational and life skills learning in four main areas:
• English for speakers of other languages classes & U.S. Citizenship
• General Educational Development / High School Equivalency (HSE) free classes to prepare customers to earn an HSE diploma;
• Cuyahoga Works, a range of career services helping adults at all stages of their working lives acquire the skills employers desire, find jobs, and transition to new careers; and
• Project Learn Corrections, onsite classes with the goals of reducing recidivism and helping students gain HSE diplomas so they can obtain employment or enroll in postsecondary education or training programs.
Key Elements of Innovation
In a recent interview about Aspire, Adult Education Services Director Jami Harris shared three key points that support the program’s success:
• No cost: “CCPL is one of the last spaces where people can receive adult education services and work skills training at no cost.”
• A continuum of service: “Whether it is to obtain their GED,® HSE or improve their English, “we tie in career services with the rest of our adult education offerings to help ensure students who pass through our program can transition the skills they learn into the workforce and improve their economic circumstances.”
• Varied partnerships serving populations in need: “A lot of the work we are doing is in the City of Cleveland” but the program has strong suburban partnerships throughout the county. Harris said many “ESOL students come from Ukraine because of the war happening in that part of the world. We also have a large population of Middle Eastern immigrants” in both city and suburban locations.
Achieved Outcomes
Aspire by the numbers in 2024:
• 765 students enrolled in English for speakers of other languages classes
• 437 students enrolled in GED® prep classes
• 27 GED® diplomas earned
• 59 students enrolled in U.S. citizenship classes
• 20 new U.S. citizens
• 214 students enrolled in Project Learn
In 2025, a unique example of collaborative success between Aspire, library staff and community leaders was an event that connected local entrepreneurs and shared more about how the library can support their business growth. Aspire’s Entrepreneurship IET program, currently serving more than 50 students across two hybrid cohorts, is currently the program’s most in-demand offering. The event extended program impact to the broader community by bringing in two dynamic guest speakers, both recognized in Who’s Who in Black Cleveland.
Together, Aspire and library staff created a vibrant networking opportunity that highlighted the library’s role as a hub for small business support and community growth.
