Goodwill of the East Bay
Economic Development:
economic opportunities for adults and families, particularly those with significant barriers to employment and financial stability.
Strategies
1. Supporting the successful transition to work for individuals reentering communities after incarceration, those with limited skills and work histories, and others from disadvantaged communities who face multiple barriers to employment.
Employment is a vital path to economic self-sufficiency and social integration. Most individuals have the capacity and desire to work, but certain individuals face unusual challenges in securing and maintaining employment. Many individuals who have been incarcerated, have long histories of welfare dependency, are recent immigrants, or come from disadvantaged and underserved communities may require special support in order to successfully transition to long-term employment. Specific approaches may include:
- Programs that address the employment-related needs of individuals reentering society after incarceration.
- Programs that create supportive employment opportunities for individuals with barriers to employment including limited English proficiency, low educational achievement, as well as individuals returning from incarceration.
- Transitional employment programs and other programs that provide targeted job assessment, placement, and support for individuals who face barriers to working including limited English proficiency, low educational achievement, as well as individuals returning from incarceration.
2. Increasing access to living-wage employment through training for high-demand occupations.
In our 21st century economy, many of the jobs that pay living wages require specialized training. Community colleges offer affordable options for individuals to acquire associate degrees and other certifications to qualify for skilled jobs, but many individuals are unfamiliar with available programs or need additional assistance to successfully access educational opportunities. Effective training must result in widely-recognized certification for jobs that pay living wages and are expected to be in high demand over the long-term, such as licensed health care professionals, IT support technicians, and certified preschool teachers. Emerging industries such as “green” technology are additional targets for job training. Specific approaches may include:
- Programs that conduct targeted outreach to increase participation of underrepresented populations in community college vocational certification programs.
- Programs that provide inclusive wrap around services such as case work, soft skills and hard/technical skills.
- Programs that offer job placement services for newly-credentialed individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
3. Enhancing low-wage workers’ economic self-sufficiency and helping low-income individuals and families build and protect financial assets.
Workers with low incomes are eligible for a number of publicly-funded benefits that can increase their economic self-sufficiency. However, many working individuals are unaware of or do not know how to access benefits such as the EITC, free or low-cost medical insurance, or subsidized child care. Increasing low-wage workers’ participation in these benefits can improve their own economic self-sufficiency as well as build financial assets. Assets can provide a vital safety net for an unexpected financial crisis, such as a job loss. Helping low-income individuals and families grow financial assets, and understand how to manage and protect them for the long-term, can create long-term benefits for individuals, families, and communities. Specific approaches may include:
- Programs that conduct outreach and provide information about eligibility for benefits such as the EITC.
- Programs that train adults in financial literacy.
- Programs that help low-income individuals build or repair credit.
- Programs that promote low-income individuals’ access to and use of affordable, mainstream banking and financial services.
4. Supporting microenterprise as an income- and asset-building option for individuals who have traditionally been excluded from economic opportunities.
Entrepreneurial self-employment represents an important economic opportunity for many disadvantaged individuals. Successful microenterprise endeavors can create opportunities to build assets and achieve financial self-sufficiency, while also facilitating workplace autonomy, flexibility to accommodate family responsibilities, and enhanced personal efficacy. At the community level, small business entrepreneurs can help revitalize local economies. Microenterprise may particularly benefit those who have been underserved by traditional wage employment, such as low-income individuals, women, ethnic minorities, welfare recipients, immigrants, and people with disabilities. Both financial and technical assistance can promote the success of microentrepreneurs.
Specific approaches may include:
- Programs that target underserved individuals and provide coaching for new entrepreneurs or small business management training, using effective adult-learning techniques.
- Programs that provide start-up funding or access to small business loans for entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Programs that provide ongoing technical assistance for microenterprise operators as well as small businesses after the start-up phase.
- Programs that help disadvantaged entrepreneurs access financial and social resources to promote their personal well-being and business sustainability, such as affordable health insurance, business technology, language and literacy classes, and professional networks.
For the 2010-2011 fiscal year, the deadline is February 1, 2011 (at midnight) for Economic Development proposals.
To apply: Follow the application process.
