PROVIDENCE – Polaris MEP will receive $1.5 million in federal funds to help the manufacturing partnership and support organization help people reentering society and find work after being incarcerated.
The state’s congressional delegation announced Thursday that the grant award, administered through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Pathway Home grant program, will help Polaris MEP and its partners research strategies to assist people leaving prison find jobs, connect them with reentry services and job trainings, and reduce recidivism rates. Lindsey Brickle, Polaris MEP’s director of workforce and community partnerships, said in a statement that the organization for several years had focused on connecting talent within underserved communities, including justice-involved individuals, to high-skilled careers in the industry.
“We are eager to build on the innovative strategies for job training and placement to be identified through Pathway Home,” Brickle said. “This will create a strong, positive ripple effect that benefits both manufacturing employers and reentry candidates.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.