WorkPlace Scholarships: A High-Impact Opportunity
Overview
WorkPlace Scholarships are about one concept — providing opportunities to allow people to help themselves and better provide for their families. WorkPlace Scholarships make this possible with privately-funded job training dollars for low-income people – including low-wage workers, youth, individuals who have been laid off, and those who require job training but cannot afford to pay for it on their own. Many cannot access public funds, which are often depleted well before the need is satisfied. WorkPlace Scholarships are used for job training or retraining to get a job, earn more, or advance in the workplace.
Background
Why do we need WorkPlace Scholarships? Although The WorkPlace, Inc. receives public funding, there are not enough funds to support training for the all people in Southwestern Connecticut who need it. Privately-funded WorkPlace Scholarships are critical and help supplement job training needs. And, although the number of WorkPlace Scholarship contributors is increasing, the demand for job training in our region is increasing even faster. Simply put, we continue to have more skilled jobs than skilled people. This is due to two reasons: As the economy churns and more people are laid off, many of them need retraining or upgrading of skills to get back into the workforce. WorkPlace Scholarships can prepare them to re-enter the workforce with the skills they need to be successful. Additionally, we need to fill thousands of job openings due to retirements and growth, according to the Connecticut Department of Labor.
WorkPlace Scholarships are not a hand-out – they provide individuals with opportunities to help themselves and move ahead. What better gift could a person receive than the chance to better support their family? Scholarships provide job training for adults and youth often living in our urban areas. Scholarship recipients include men, women, the youth, and mature workers from all ethnic backgrounds. Specifically, WorkPlace Scholarship recipients include:
- People living on a low-income: They may be unemployed or working part-time or full-time and need job training and education to obtain a job, increase wages, or advance in jobs. These families struggle as they live week to week or paycheck to paycheck;
- People who have been laid off from their jobs: These people may need retraining to re-enter the workforce. Whether it be technology training or training for a new profession, WorkPlace Scholarships are able to offer help. Families of dislocated workers must also survive on a limited income and deal with unusual financial stress, and they are eligible as well;
- Youth and Young Adults (ages 16-21): Youths who need job training and support services to learn about the world of work and secure jobs may also qualify, including high school drop-outs or parenting teens. With a Youth Scholarship, participants may enroll in an occupational skills training program which includes support services such as childcare and transportation.
Services & Enhancements
Although the Opportunity is focused on WorkPlace Scholarship recipients, the benefits of WorkPlace Scholarships are five-fold. Not only do they provide opportunities for individuals by providing job training, but they provide opportunities for communities by providing taxpayers and residents who have the means to spend more within their communities; they provide opportunities for employers in Southwestern Connecticut by developing skilled workers to fill job openings; they provide opportunities for contributors to support a quality program that makes a difference and is tax-deductible; and they provide opportunities for The WorkPlace to continue to meet its goal of training people in the 20 communities it serves.
Communities Served
Every community in our Southwestern Connecticut region – Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bridgeport, Darien, Derby, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe, New Canaan, Norwalk, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport and Wilton – are served by The WorkPlace, Inc.
TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION, Please Click HERE for the PDF Form.
For Enrollment Information
To be considered for a WorkPlace Scholarship, you must visit a CTWorks Center. CTWorks Centers are located in Bridgeport, Stamford and The Valley (Derby). Contact them toll-free at 1-866-859-8818 for directions to the location nearest you.
While at the Center, you will meet with a career counselor. The counselor will assess your current skill levels, and an aptitude or vocational preference test may be administered to determine your vocational strengths.
All WorkPlace Scholarship applicants are prioritized based on several factors including financial need, the needs of the labor market, and funding availability.
For companies and individuals interested in contributing to WorkPlace Scholarships or learning more about the program, please contact:
Charmane Leone
Manager of Development and Community Relations
Phone: (203) 610-8550
Fax: (203) 610-8551
E-mail: cleone@workplace.org
