A group of professional women formed a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting “displaced homemakers” who were re-entering the labor market as a result of being widowed or divorced. Named The Displaced Homemaker Program, it received initial federal funding funneled through the City of Columbus. Four years later, it was renamed…

The Center formed a collaborative arrangement with Columbus State Community College and moved onto their campus.

The Center began to receive United Way funding, which allowed for expansion of programs and services. New educational programs were developed to focus on career exploration and job search skills, including resume writing, interviewing skills and salary negotiations. These programs were offered during the evenings and weekends and were open…

The Center opened the Best Foot Forward Career Clothing Closet, to provide quality, new and gently-used professional clothing to women for job interviews and to start new jobs. The Closet also served clients from other human service organizations and was open to the public as a resource for free or…

The student population at Columbus State increased so dramatically that the college decided to tear down the building which housed the Center to make way for more classroom and office space for their students and faculty. As a result, the Center moved its offices to 370 S. Fifth Street.

The Center changed its name to New Directions Career Center (NDCC) in an effort to better communicate its role in the community. In 2006, a Placement Service was developed to further assist graduates of the Center with obtaining jobs. A Mock Interview Program was also implemented with the help of…

A Placement Service was developed to further assist graduates of the Center with obtaining jobs. A Mock Interview Program was also implemented with the help of corporate volunteers committed to conducting these interviews with Center program graduates as a means of preparing them for the real experience.

In 2008, the Center partnered with Goodwill Columbus and transitioned the administration of the Clothing Closet to Goodwill Columbus. This collaboration between NDCC and Goodwill allowed for the expansion of operating hours for the Closet from 18 hrs./wk. to more than 60 hrs./wk, with growth opportunities at multiple locations. This transition…

The Center moved its administrative offices and classroom space to 199 E. Rich Street (the renovated space that previously housed the Clothing Closet). This move allowed for better bus line access and the ground floor space is more accessible to individuals with mobility issues. The Center ran a pilot program…

NDCC is celebrating 41 years of service to central Ohioans. During that 41 year period, more than 70,000 lives have been touched. Nearly 3,000 of these individuals are graduates of the New Directions Program. When the Center was established in 1980, the New Directions Program was its first program, and…