The WorkPlace

Opinion: How to Navigate the AI Revolution

Brandi Johnson — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 14:30:49 +0000

Amid a technological renaissance, artificial intelligence (AI) stands as both a beacon of innovation and a harbinger of profound transformation in the workforce. As AI technologies advance at an unprecedented pace, we find ourselves at a critical inflection point. The decisions we make today will shape the future of work for both job-seekers and employers. Recognizing this, The WorkPlace is launching a Blue-Ribbon Committee to consider the impacts of AI on the workforce development system, ensuring that we navigate this pivotal moment with foresight and responsibility.

AI’s influence on the job market is undeniable. On one hand, AI can augment human capabilities, making tasks more efficient and opening new avenues for growth. On the other hand, it poses significant challenges, potentially displacing workers and reshaping industries in ways that are not yet fully understood. For job-seekers, AI presents both opportunities and uncertainties. While new roles are emerging in tech-driven sectors, there is a growing need for skills that can keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies. The demand for proficiency in AI tools and data analytics is accelerating, requiring a workforce that is not only adaptable but also equipped with the skills of tomorrow.

For employers, AI offers a chance to enhance productivity and streamline operations. However, this technological shift comes with its own set of challenges. Companies must balance the integration of AI with the need for a human touch, ensuring that automation does not erode the value of human creativity and empathy. Moreover, there is a pressing need for strategic planning to address the workforce transitions that AI will inevitably bring.

At The WorkPlace, we are acutely aware of the transformative effects of AI on the labor market. The Blue-Ribbon Committee we are establishing to address this complex landscape will be dedicated to exploring AI’s impact on workforce development. This committee will bring together experts from various fields — technology, education, and private sector employers — to analyze how AI is reshaping job opportunities and what should be done to prepare and support job-seekers and employers.

Our goal is not only to understand the current effects of AI but to anticipate future trends and craft actionable recommendations. How can we equip workers with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world? What policies and programs can support those displaced by technological advancements? How can businesses harness AI while maintaining a commitment to their workforce? This is our starting point, and these are the questions we aim to answer.

The establishment of this committee marks a crucial step toward ensuring AI’s integration into the workforce system is equitable and beneficial. We must foster a collaborative dialogue among stakeholders to create solutions that are forward-thinking and inclusive. The future of work is being shaped today, and it is imperative that we act decisively to guide this transformation in a way that benefits all.

As we stand at this inflection point, the choices we make will determine the trajectory of our workforce and economy. By addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by AI head-on, we can ensure a future where technology serves as a tool for enhancement rather than a source of division. The WorkPlace is committed to leading this charge and invites all stakeholders to join us in shaping a workforce that is resilient, innovative, and prepared for the demands of the future.

The time to act is now. Together, let us navigate this moment with wisdom and vision, paving the way for a workforce that thrives in the age of AI.

Joseph Carbone is president & CEO of The WorkPlace in Bridgeport.

Sep 24, 2024

Joseph Carbone

Published by: The Connecticut Post & Stamford Adovcate

Platform to Employment

Melanie Blanco — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 17:00:27 +0000

PLATFORM TO EMPLOYMENT

Make Employment Happen

Our Programs

Platform to Employment creates a pathway to opportunity for job seekers by helping the unemployed get back to work.

Platform to Employment Programs

How Platform to Employment (P2E) Works

P2E participants start with a preparatory program that addresses the social, emotional, and skill deficiencies caused by long-term unemployment. Participants are then matched with open positions at local companies on a trial basis with their salaries funded by The WorkPlace. This is a paid opportunity for P2E participants to demonstrate they can do the job while employers evaluate their work. Platform to Employment is offered statewide in Connecticut with programs in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Norwich and Waterbury.

Why Platform to Employment Is Needed

The long-term unemployed come from all walks of life and face the same hiring challenges. With so many workers unemployed for shorter duration and many more looking to advance beyond part-time employment, employers don’t have to look that deep into the labor pool for qualified candidates. After longer periods of unemployment, many workers experience distinct stresses. Their savings have been exhausted to cover daily expenses. They may face foreclosure and loss of housing. Many feel disconnected from their careers, become depressed, lose confidence and experience strains on their families.

Platform to Employment empowers individuals, fosters self-sufficiency and focuses on performance improvements with measurable outcomes. We help participants discover their true potential while providing employers flexible and highly trained workers who can think critically, act independently and work in teams!

Platform to Employment Success Story

“I cannot recommend The WorkPlace and the P2E program more! It simply meant the world to me. After months and months of searching and applying for positions the “old school” way, the toll of not finding a job began to overwhelm. Shortly after starting the program I began to change my approach and viewpoint. A sense of confidence returned! I began to have HOPE! Bottom line: I landed a position in my field – one that will allow me to grow professionally and present opportunities down the road. Thank you, P2E – I truly don’t think I would’ve done it without you.” – Rich Ward, Norwich/New London graduate

A Benefit for Employers

As an innovative solution, Platform to Employment provides employers with a new avenue to a skilled workforce. Businesses receive a risk-free opportunity to evaluate and consider hiring our participants. This work experience is funded by Platform to Employment. During this trial, The WorkPlace will pay all the candidate’s wages. Whether or not an employer hires the candidate, there is no cost to the business.

ADP presents On the Job: Generational Diversity in the Workplace with Martha Bird. Discussing the benefits and challenges of adding a new generation to the workforce.

Helping the Long-Term Unemployed Return to Work. Pres/CEO Joe Carbone’s Personal Story

Platform to Employment Connecticut

Apply Here

Creating a Pathway To Opportunity For Job Seekers

Platform to Employment (P2E) graduates Get Hired! Through Platform to Employment^® job seekers find the support and services needed to get back to work. P2E helps the unemployed, those who have exhausted unemployment benefits, get back to work by addressing their specific challenges.

Just “20 Days to Success”! Platform to Employment is an empowering solution that is available to job seekers at no cost. Work with a dedicated staff to improve your self image and transform job search skills. Through P2E find a committed support system and network of professionals with the same goal; helping people get back to work.

P2E is also an innovative solution addressing the challenges of returning the unemployed to work while providing employers a new avenue to a skilled workforce. Businesses receive a risk-free opportunity to evaluate and consider hiring participants during a eight-week work experience funded by Platform to Employment.

Contact Information

(203) 373-2147
Toll Free (855) 245-4P2E or (855) 245-4723
info@platformtoemployment.com
www.platformtoemployment.com

Apply Here

Platform to Employment Re-Entry

Apply Here

The Pathway To Success Starts Here

Platform to Employment Re-Entry is a statewide program to reduce unemployment and recidivism rates among the reentry population. The program is modeled after the nationally recognized Platform to Employment (P2E) program which was designed to reconnect the unemployed with the workforce and has assisted over 80% of graduates to secure employment.

Platform to Employment Re-Entry provides formerly incarcerated individuals with work readiness and career development training. The core of the training focuses on life skills and professional development training to enhance confidence and improve employment opportunities. It includes access to career-related tools, seminars, behavioral health services, financial counseling and other resources to strengthen skills to secure careers. Other supports include resources to address barriers to employment such as transportation and childcare.

Just “20 Days to Success”! Platform to Employment is an empowering solution that is available to job seekers at no cost. Work with a dedicated staff and a committed support system with the same goal; helping you get back to work.

Platform to Employment Re-Entry is offered statewide in Connecticut with programs in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Norwich and Waterbury.

Contact Information

Mario Sarro

(203) 610-8496

msarro@workplace.org

Apply Here

Platform to Employment for Veterans

Apply Here

Helping Veterans Find Career Opportunities

Platform to Employment (P2E) for Veterans is a preparatory program that includes skills assessment, career readiness workshops and personal coaching all geared towards helping the long-term unemployed re-enter the workforce. P2E incorporates a successful curriculum of self-assessment, managing change, effective communication and successful job search strategies.

Platform to Employment for Veterans helps people who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. Our education and career counseling program is a great opportunity for Veterans to get personalized counseling and support to help guide their career paths. This program launching in Bridgeport will only serve veterans that live in Connecticut and 100% of the class will be composed of veterans (whether you have completed your service recently or years ago).

What Veterans Can Expect:

Improve your job search skills
Work with a dedicated career coach and employment specialist
Connect with a committed support system
Obtain employment

Contact Information

(203) 373-2147
Toll Free (855) 245-4P2E or (855) 245-4723
p2eveterans@workplace.org

Apply Here

Health CareeRx Academy

peralta — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 17:00:13 +0000

Build Your Pathway to a Brighter Future!

The Health CareeRx Academy provides tuition assistance and support to ensure participants achieve their goal of obtaining a career in the growing healthcare industry. The Academy is a broad partnership of healthcare providers, educators, trainers, and community-based organizations throughout Connecticut.

Designed with input from employers, The Academy supports the health industry’s evolving workforce needs by helping people obtain the right skills for diverse and in-demand occupations. We provide occupational training, work readiness, and other support to individuals who seek to begin or advance a career in healthcare. All training leads to industry-recognized credentials and prepares individuals to pass a state or national licensing exam.

Benefits and Services Include:

Skills Assessment
Job Readiness Training
Tuition Assistance
Occupational Training
Internships and On the Job Training (limited)
Job Placement Services
Career Exploration and Career Development Plans
Workshops in Healthcare Occupations and Career Advancement Career Support Services such as: assistance with childcare and transportation while enrolled in training.

Sample occupations.

Community Health Workers (CHW)
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Emergency Medical Technician
Medical Administrative Assistant
Medical Assistant
Medical Billing & Coding
Pharmacy Technician
Sterile Processing
…And more.

- Pick The Path Best For You-

The Nursing Careers Pathway

Nursing Careers Pathway (NCP) is a statewide program led by The WorkPlace in collaboration with Capital Workforce Partners to help individuals advance and decrease barriers to career success by offering additional support such as mentoring, tuition assistance, childcare, transportation, rental assistance, and job placement assistance. Individuals in the healthcare industry will receive specialized training leading to a wider range of employment opportunities.

Eligibility

You must be accepted into an LPN program or an associate-level or bachelor’s degree-level Nursing program.
Must possess a licensure as a CNA, EMT, LPN, or Medical Assistant

Community Health Worker Career

Community Health Worker Career (CHW) is a statewide program designed to educate participants to act as liaisons between community members and healthcare and social service providers. CHWs have an in-depth understanding of a community’s experience, language, culture, and socioeconomic needs. In addition, Community Health Workers can provide a range of services, including outreach, advocacy, and care coordination.

Transportation, childcare, and job placement assistance are provided to decrease barriers to career success. To learn about this opportunity, contact Rakiya Bello at rbello@workplace.org or call (203)- 683-9582.

Career ConneCT

If you are unemployed or underemployed, Career ConneCT offers no-cost training programs to help you begin a career. Through Career ConneCT, you can earn industry standard certifications in as little as 5-12 weeks. Gain the skills and training necessary for high-demand healthcare careers in CT!

Supportive services are available including stipends, uniform, transportation assistance, immunizations, and more!

Programs Offered:

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Emergency Medical Technician
Medical Assistant
Medical Billing & Coding
Sterile Processing & more!

Contact Information

Phone: (203)-610-8500

Email: general@healthcareeracademy.org

Sign Up For Our Information Session

“This project [is being] [was] supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP0128 awarded to the State of Connecticut by the U.S. Department of the Treasury”

Second Chance Re-Entry Program

Melanie Blanco — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 17:00:02 +0000

A FRESH START…FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS

Gain the skills you need to successfully re-enter the workforce.

Are you unemployed? Have been involved with the criminal justice system? Over the age of 25 and living in the state of Connecticut?

The Second Chance Re-Entry Program provides participants with work readiness, job search and placement assistance, and employment retention skills to promote access to higher-paying jobs. Workforce specialists offer incarcerated persons pre and post-release case management services with one-on-one counseling and group staff support.

Incarcerated persons accepted into the program before prison release take part in online discussions on barriers to employment and how to overcome them. Support services include mentoring, job training search assistance such as guidance on resume and cover letter writing, and preparing for interview support. Job search help is offered through a recruitment agency, Engage Staffing. There are opportunities for certification training including OSHA 10, Serve Safe Food Handler, Forklift Operator in addition to Entrepreneurship/Micro-Business training.

Immediately following prison release, participants gain access to a support team, networking groups, peer mentoring, substance abuse treatment, or emotional wellness programming, financial and legal counseling, transportation, childcare, and housing assistance.

The Second Chance Re-Entry Program is a project of The WorkPlace. It is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary aids and services are available to individuals with disabilities upon request.

The total cost of Second Chance Re-Entry Program is $750,000 is funded through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Second Chance Act Community Programs. This project was supported by Grant No. 2020-CY-BX-0032 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.”

Contact Information:

Rev. Terri Williams

Vice President of Re-Entry programs

(203)-610-6562

twilliams@workplace.org

Mortgage Crisis Job Training Program

peralta — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 17:00:59 +0000

Apply Here

There is an Answer to Your Personal Mortgage Crisis

The MCJTP has helped Connecticut residents stay in their homes since 2008 by enhancing job skills to improve earning potential and the ability to sustain a mortgage with affordable monthly payments.

Hardships create difficult situations, such as loss of work, overwhelming medical bills, and more, but you are not alone. The sooner you reach out, the more options you will have to work towards a resolution. Let us help you understand your current situation, explain your mortgage assistance options, and review what documents you need to get started. Earning more could be the solution to avoiding foreclosure.

– Services –

This no-cost program offers virtual services such as:

Assess your situation, learn about resources, and supports available to you
Access financial and credit counseling workshops
Identify skills needed to advance in a career or transition to a new occupation
Assistance with your resume, cover letter, and interviewing skills
Employment search support

– New Benefit –

Improve your earning potential with no-cost job training and career services. You may be eligible for one month’s mortgage payment.

No-cost job training scholarships that lead to certification or licensure including and not limited to the following:

Cisco and VMware
CompTIA A+, Network and Cybersecurity
MS Office 365
Project Management (PMP)
Property Management
Small Business: Referrals and Resources for Entrepreneur

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) programming
Licensure:
CDL Class A, B and Forklift
Vocational CT State Licensure Renewals
Real Estate
QuickBooks

Eligibility:

Unemployed, underemployed or in need of a second job
A homeowner
60 days or more past due on a mortgage for their primary residence in CT
Demonstrate an imminent need for program services

Speak To An Agent

Christopher Anishovich
(860) 899 3522
Hartford County
Middlesex County
New London County
Tolland County
Windham County

Maria Matarazzo
203-610-8580

Fairfield County
Litchfield County
New Haven County

Desiree Brooks
(203) 610-8584
Fairfield County
Litchfield County
New Haven County

Claire Duvernay
(203) 416-8491
Fairfield County
Litchfield County
New Haven County

Marisol Concepcion
(860) 462-8043
Hartford County
Middlesex County
New London County
Tolland County
Windham County

Araceli Marquez Fuentes
(203) 610-8106
Fairfield County
Litchfield County
New Haven County

Get Started Today!

Apply Here

MaturityWorks

WorkPlace WebManager — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 17:00:27 +0000

Apply Here

What is MaturityWorks?

MaturityWorks is a training program that helps people, age 55 and older, increase their job skills through paid community service in local non-profit organizations. MaturityWorks matches eligible older job seekers with local nonprofits and public agencies so they can increase skills and build self-confidence, while earning a modest income. Based on their employment interests and goals, participants may also receive supportive services and skills training. The MaturityWorks experience frequently leads to permanent employment.

Looking to become a participant?

Expand your job skills and get ready to re-enter the workforce. MaturityWorks has helped older Americans 55+ with opportunities to fill entry- and mid-level positions with employers in their local communities. We have has successfully moved hundreds of older job seekers into jobs–providing them with opportunities to use their skills while also offering valuable work experience.

How does it work?

Working an average of 20 hours a week, older job seekers are paid the highest of federal, state or local minimum wage and are compensated by MaturityWorks directly. The job seekers are placed in a wide variety of community service activities at non-profit and public facilities. This on-the-job training experience can then be used as a bridge to find employment opportunities outside of the program. Participants will be matched with training assignments that fit their unique skill set, schedule, and training needs. While in the program receive support to secure employment.

You can receive

Paid training
Assisted job search
Job placement assistance
Support services

To be eligible for MaturityWorks, you must:

Be unemployed
55 or older
Meet family income guidelines

Apply Here

Community partner opportunities, become a Host Agency.

Strengthen your community programs. Public and nonprofit organizations benefit from an expanded workforce that gives them the opportunity to improve services through association with MaturityWorks. Program participants normally perform a variety of tasks that may not be accomplished because of a gap in funding or other challenges. Experience is an asset.

Through MaturityWorks job seekers can be placed in a wide variety of positions. These positions are training assignments designed to provide the skills and experience to obtain future employment, but at the same time provides no cost labor for the local organizations. The host agency is typically any 501(c)(3) non-profit agency, community-based organization or government agency. Host agencies are instrumental to providing a realistic work environment and the opportunity to gain knowledge and feedback that will help job seekers become successful in the long-term.

Expand the capacity of your non-profit. MaturityWorks provides talented, hardworking workers to our host agencies. Together, we can offer opportunities that improve employment opportunities as we expand service in the community.

Complete Contact Form

For more information on becoming a Host Agency contact

MaturityWorks

Toll-free 1-866-683-1682
info2@workplace.org

The total cost of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is $13,071,445.56. $11,764,301 (90%) is funded through a U.S. Department of Labor grant. The other $1,307,144.56 (10%) is funded through non-Federal resources.

MaturityWorks Health Hub

Helping Mature Workers Live A Healthier Life

The WorkPlace’s MaturityWorks Program

Watch this Ted Talk which explains the importance of older workers.

Comcast Awards $20,000 Grant to The WorkPlace in Vermont

Brandi Johnson — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 18:44:00 +0000

Comcast has awarded a $20,000 grant to support MaturityWorks, a training program run by The WorkPlace in partnership with the State of Vermont’s Mature Worker Program. The grant helps address digital literacy barriers for low-income Vermonters, age 55 and older, who are looking to expand their job skills and re-enter the workforce. The WorkPlace is a nonprofit organization that coordinates regional and state-wide workforce development programs to prepare people for careers while strengthening the workforce.

The funding from Comcast provides MaturityWorks participants with technology, including laptops, to access virtual learning and career readiness training, such as how to use email, write a resume with software tools, complete online applications and interview virtually.

“The MaturityWorks program is designed to increase job skills and build self-confidence, while earning an income. With access to technology and the Internet, our program participants are opening doors to infinite opportunities by accessing online training, attending virtual job coaching sessions and exploring new career opportunities,” said Joseph Carbone, President and CEO of The WorkPlace. “We’re grateful to Comcast for this grant, which is enabling participants to have greater access to expanded employment opportunities while participating in on-the-job training activities.”

According to SeniorLiving.org, Vermont has one of the oldest populations in the country. The MaturityWorks program addresses the pressing need for older adults to keep pace with technology and increase their digital proficiency in order to secure jobs and expand employment options. This program is tailored to Vermont’s rural environment, offering remote training options to overcome barriers such as long distances to career centers and limited public transportation.

“We have a longstanding commitment to Vermont and understand the important role that the Internet and digital literacy play in building a future of unlimited possibilities for everyone in the community, regardless of age,” said Carolyne Hannan, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s New England Region. “We are proud to support The WorkPlace to ensure older Vermonters have the resources and opportunities they need to participate and excel in an increasingly digital world.”

This grant is part of Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers and creators. This investment includes digital equity programs such as Internet Essentials, Lift Zones and Digital Navigators.

Comcast is deeply committed to advancing digital equity in the communities it serves. Since its inception in 2011, Comcast’s Internet Essentials has connected more than 10 million low-income Americans to broadband service at home, including more than 52,000 in Vermont. Additionally, Comcast has launched Lift Zones in community centers nationwide, including four in Vermont, to provide students and families with free, high-speed WiFi and digital skills training.

For additional information on Project UP and Comcast’s digital equity initiatives, visit https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/project-up.

Read about Comcast’s other recent initiatives in Vermont, including a grant to Elevate Youth Services, a volunteer project with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and our latest network expansion to Westmore.

Written by Comcast New England blog

Graduates of Bridgeport Project Retail workforce program show ‘anything is possible’

Brandi Johnson — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:30:53 +0000

NORWALK — As sunlight streamed into the SoNo Collection Magnificent Room upon the graduates of the Project Retail workforce education program, speakers emphasized that education breeds opportunity.

The program graduates lined up beside wall-to-wall picture windows in the room and processed one by one to the stage to accept certificates while a crowd of their families and loved ones cheered and applauded their achievements.

FIT professors taught the participants who completed 50 class hours cumulatively either in-person or at the WorkPlace’s Bridgeport office and virtually.

Project Retail’s 98 percent completion rate speaks to the commitment each participant had in furthering their career, said Adrienne Parkmond, the WorkPlace’s chief operating officer.

Ashley Barr, 32, of Bridgeport, said she left the program feeling prepared for new job prospects. She’s looking for new jobs to use skills she learned in Project Retail while she is a secretary at the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services.

“(Project Retail offers) an opportunity to excel in my career and helps me get to where I need to,” Barr said after the ceremony Thursday morning, noting that she wants to open a youth services business.

Barr currently studies human resources at Charter Oak State College; she said being able to further her education with Project Retail empowers her.

The WorkPlace, which coordinates workforce development programs across Connecticut, partnered with the FIT in the $750,000 Project Retail funded by the state budget this year, state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said at the ceremony. The graduation taking place at the SoNo Collection was significant: the mall has been a huge retail employer since opening in 2019, the state senator said.

In his remarks to the program graduates and other attendees, Duff implored they remain ambitious and set their sights high.

“Anything is possible,” Duff said.

Michelle Artis, the program’s director from the WorkPlace, said that retail employment is more than just showing up to a retail job.

“There’s merchandising, there’s the operational part of retail,” Artis said. “Retail really is just front-facing, giving a service to customers.”

The Project Retail program took a top-down approach in educating participants in every part of giving that retail service to customers and beyond, Artis said.

From a job fair at the end of the program on Monday, four program participants got new jobs. They’re not the only ones. Parkmond said that one-third of Project Retail’s 57 graduates have new jobs. One program graduate just got a job that paid $28 hourly, she said.

“That changes lives,” she said.

The graduating class of Project Retail largely comprised people of color, a demographic that has faced significant systemic employment discrimination.

A February 2023 Pew Research Center survey of nearly 6,000 Americans revealed that 41 percent of Black respondents said they had faced discrimination in hiring, pay or promotion in their lives; 20 percent of Hispanic respondents said they’d faced that discrimination and 25 percent of Asian respondents did.

Jacqueline Jenkins, FIT’s interim executive director for the Center for Continuing and Professional Studies, said that Project Retail falls squarely within the school’s social justice initiatives.

“We have a commitment to supporting diverse individuals and we also have a commitment to the creative industries and so this ties them all together,” Jenkins said.

Written by Kalleen Rose Ozanic, a local reporter at Norwalk the Hour.

Link to the article: Connecticut Post

Career ConneCT

Brandi Johnson — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 12:52:29 +0000

Build Your Career with Career ConneCT

Career ConneCT is a program that helps participants complete short-term training. Programs allow you to earn industry-recognized credentials and find entry-level employment. Career ConneCT offers participants access to case management, job placement, and more.

Trainings are available in person or online. Work with your career coach to find a schedule that works for you.

Career Paths

Manufacturing
Healthcare
CDL Licensing

Information Technology (IT)
Green Jobs

Supportive Services

Equipment & Supplies
Transportation

Housing Rental Assistance
Tutition Assistance
Professional Clothing

Contact Us

To start your journey towards success, visit our portal and create an account to get started.

Apply Now

“This project [is being] [was] supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP0128 awarded to the State of Connecticut by the U.S. Department of the Treasury”

CT employment agency named federal grant recipient for helping formerly incarcerated people find jobs

Brandi Johnson — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 13:22:05 +0000

A Connecticut employment agency has been named a recipient of a federal grant for its role in helping formerly incarcerated people find jobs, officials said.

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded The WorkPlace in Bridgeport a $2.5 million grant, according to the agency.

The funds are part of more than $56 million in Pathway Home grants to help reduce recidivism and assist people in re-entering their communities after being incarcerated. Authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the grants provide funding to complete training for skills most valued by local employers.

Pathway Home grants help eliminate gaps between release from prison or jail and enrollment in a workforce development program. Grantees must partner with a state correctional facility or local or county jail for the project to have access to participants before their return to their communities, according to a press release.

“The Pathway Home grants we announced today will allow justice-involved individuals to get the training they need to secure good jobs as they re-enter their communities following a term of incarceration,” said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training José Javier Rodríguez in a press release. “The Biden-Harris administration recognizes that our communities are safer when formerly incarcerated Americans have access to good jobs. These grants enable participants to begin skills training before their release, better preparing them to start their new lives.”

The WorkPlace was originally founded as the Private Industry Council of Southern Connecticut in 1983. Today, the employment agency serves as the workforce development board for Southwestern Connecticut, according to its website.

Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com

Link to the article: https://bit.ly/3xEAJ8D