Weekly Roundup of the news on women and supportive services in job training programs.
Job training can provide an entry into family-sustaining jobs and careers. Many women in job training programs, however, face obstacles to success. Wraparound services—such as child care assistance, access to public benefits, and transportation or housing assistance—can help adults, particularly those with caregiving responsibilities, to complete programs that will ultimately improve their economic standing.
May 17, 2016
WisBusiness.com: Panel: Employers need to involve themselves in skills gap solutions
If Wisconsin fixes its long-term skills gap problem, it’s going to be because employers help students early to figure out their best career options, according to a WisPolitics.com panel. That’s already happening in several places around Wisconsin, said Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce President Tim Sheehy. But more and more employers need to help policymakers and schools ensure Wisconsin has enough skilled workers in the future, he said.
[…] It’s more than just technical skills, she added, noting that companies look for “soft skills” such as critical thinking. Colleges also need to help address the several obstacles students face outside of school, such as hunger and homelessness, she said. “We have to make sure that the students have the credentials they need,” she said. “But they need to have all those wrap-around support services and good career planning to really be a productive value employee.”
State of Reform: FamilyCare awards $532,000 in grants to support BH access
ADELANTE MUJERES: $24,237 for increasing food security for Latina women and their young children. The grant will benefit those living in western Washington County who are enrolled in classes such as GED Prep in Spanish, computer skills, job training, and parenting and personal growth classes. This program is intended to (1) Increase Latino Families consumption of fresh, local produce and, (2) Inform and refer participants to federal benefit programs in order to improve participants’ food security.
May 12, 2016
RGV Proud: Texas Veterans Commission Awards $300,000 Grant to Help Valley Veterans
The Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA) announced that the Texas Veterans Commission through the Funds for Veterans Assistance program, awarded VIDA a $300,000 grant to provide educational and job training opportunities as well as supportive services for veterans in the Rio Grande Valley. The program name for this grant is VIDA for Veterans!
The TVC grant will allow VIDA to infuse its comprehensive wraparound support services program, which includes an intensive case management component that provides career pathway choices to underserved, unemployed, and underemployed Texas veterans, their surviving spouses and dependents (Beneficiaries) for all counties of the Rio Grande Valley.
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