What Happened?
A collaborative network of public and private organizations recently received a $145,000 grant from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions to help workers advance their careers with innovative skills training.
Goal
The National Fund for Workforce Solutions awarded Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford with a $145,000 grant from the Social Innovation Fund. The Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford is a collection of stakeholder organizations representing the public and private sectors. The mission of the collaborative is to train equip the regional workforce with the necessary skills to meet the evolving demands of local businesses.
The organization focuses most of its programs on connecting unemployed and lower-income wage earners with the tools to advance to mid-skill jobs. The Workforce Solutions Collaborative will use the $145,000 grant to create partnership programs in a variety of key growth industries including:
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- Transportation
The Workforce Solutions Collaborative of Metro Hartford won the grant after demonstrating a high-performance, demand-driven model of workforce development programs, the Hartford Courant reported.
Social Innovation Fund
The Social Innovation Fund is administered through the Corporation for National and Community Service and is designed to utilize public and private resources to grow innovative, community-based solutions for low-income workers and families. The Social Innovation Fund supports programs tackling three priorities for low-income communities:
- Economic opportunity
- Healthy futures
- Youth development
Since launching in 2010, the Social Innovation Fund and its private sector partners have invested more than half a billion dollars in community solutions including $229.3 million in federal grants and $516.3 million in nonfederal matching funds. The funding has supported programs in 37 states and the District of Columbia. In 2015, the Social Innovation Fund is making $40 million available for community-based programs.
Challenge Workforce Solutions
Challenge Workforce Solutions recently received a $364,186 grant from the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities through its Balancing Incentive Program. The grant will help support Challenge Workforce Solutions’ community-based job integration program designed for workers with specific barriers to employment. The integration program helps transition workers to community-based employment opportunities, as well as connect students graduating from high school with work, Ithaca Journal reported.
Challenge Workforce Solutions will leverage the grant funding to improve its service options and build out more infrastructure to support more community-based approaches to workforce development. Challenge Workforce Solutions helps workers with developmental disabilities transition from positions at work centers to community workplaces. The grant will help the organization:
- Develop new services
- Create collaborations with community groups and employers
- Invest in new staff and technology
Through integrated employment and volunteer opportunities, Challenge Workforce Solutions helps workers with developmental disabilities achieve self-sufficiency through skills training and other social services, Ithaca Journal reported.
The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities’ Balancing Incentive Program is a transformation fund helping organizations provide innovative long-term services and supports for individuals with disabilities. The program aims to:
- Achieve robust integrated employment and self-directed models
- Expand community-based housing options
- Develop a responsive and accountable quality infrastructure
The Balancing Incentive Program calls upon developmental disability providers, advocates and local governments to develop solutions that transform the system of care and opportunities available to individuals with disabilities.
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