Agencies that help people recovering from drug addiction, people with limited proficiency in English, and those in Welfare to Work programs prepare for and find jobs, were among those receiving grant money last month from the Making It Work program.
“Social issues, domestic violence, substance abuse, poor work skills, child care, housing issues. When you put them all together, it’s very difficult to place people with that many barriers in work,” said Jane Nugent, senior vice president for community research with the United Way of Southeastern New England.
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In 1994, the United Way and the Rhode Island Human Resource Investment Council (HRIC) teamed up to create a program that would help “hard to place” individuals find jobs. The United Way agreed to donate $200,000 in 1995, 1996, and 1997, while the HRIC agreed to provide $500,000 in funding in each of those three years.
The result was the Making It Work program. A total of $2.1 million was committed to the program.
Both agencies decided in 1997 to continue the program beyond the initial three- year period and committed another $2.1 million. That decision was made in part because of a federal government decision in 1996 to move people off welfare programs and into jobs, according to Nugent.
Last month, the United Way and HRIC distributed more money to eight different programs, according to a statement issued by the United Way.
During the program’s first three years the money helped the agencies receiving grant money find work for 366 people, Nugent said. The program’s goal had originally been to place 403 people in jobs, but Nugent said the results were “seen as very credible.”
At the end of 1997, when the program’s first round officially ended, 291 of those 366 people were still employed, according to Nugent. There have been no further follow up studies since that time, she added.
The goals for Making It Work II are slightly higher, Nugent said.
Agencies receiving funds:
Gateway Healthcare, Inc. – Receiving $60,000 to establish Recovery Works, an integrated system of health, education, social service and job placement services designed to help people who are recovering from substance addiction. It will help participants find work and strengthen the recovery process. A primary focus of this effort will also be to help employers find qualified, dependable employees. It will serve high school drop outs, at-risk youth, individuals with poor literacy skills, ex-offenders, dislocated workers, low-income parents, homeless people with physical or mental disabilities, or people with limited English abilities, combined with a history of substance abuse. Gateway expects to train 50 people during year one, and place 40 in jobs.
Mount Hope Day Care Center, Inc. – To receive $38,927 for an integrated job readiness/job placement project that will help low-income parents moving from public assistance to job placements in the field of early childhood education. It will give temporary assistance to Needy Families recipients the opportunity to develop job skills that will help them to obtain and retain employment. During year one, the program expects to train 12 people with a minimum job placement of eight people.
The Genesis Center – This project will serve adults with significant barriers to employment, including limited English proficiency, lack of job skills for the U.S. job market, and a lack of certification for either education or employment skills in the United States. It is slated to receive $85,356 from the Make It Work program. Genesis Center will work with Vocational Resource, Inc.; Rhode Island Child Care Training Network; the Travelers Aid Society of R.I. and others. Officials there expect to train 65 people and place 45 in jobs by the end of year one.
Family Resources, Inc. – It will bring together six organizations to provide a range of services, which will enable low-income citizens to find long-term work.
Also involved in this project are the Literacy Volunteers of Northern R.I., Project RIRAL, the Woonsocket Housing Authority, the Woonsocket Shelter Community Action Program, and the YWCA of Northern R.I. The project is supposed to receive $65,717 in funding and plans to train 60 people and place 32 workers by the end of year one.
Independence Maintenance Program – Plans call for this program to receive $200,000 and train and place 60 workers during the year. The lead agency in this program is the New England Gerontology Academy. Other agencies involved in this effort are Dorcas Place, Vocational Resources and Women in Transition. This program, which also received funding in round one of Making It Work, proposes training a total of 200 low income individuals with various employment barriers, providing placement services, then offering follow-up services for six months.
Travelers Aid Society of R.I. – Is set to receive about $225,000 for two programs, which are supposed to assist welfare recipients who must find gainful employment. They expect to help about 150 people make the transition to the workforce.
Rhode Island College School of Social Work – Will receive $25,000 to conduct an evaluation of the Welfare to Work component of the HRIC/United Way Making It Work program.
