Capital Workforce Partners and the BEST Chance Partnership are excited to announce that the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving will provide $400,000 in funding to serve returning citizens with career services, workforce training, job placement/retention and support services in the Capitol Region. The BEST Chance Partnership includes the Connecticut Departments of Labor, Correction, Social Services other funding partners, which support a Second Chance Integrated Basic Education Skills Training (IBEST) Program. The program provides outreach, assessment, work readiness training, customer service training, IBEST training in manufacturing, culinary and construction, participant stipends and other support services, job placement and retention.
The Best Chance Partnership has proven success in offering employment and support services to advance positive outcomes for individuals obtaining good jobs and careers. The team of training providers includes Career Resources, Inc., the Center for Latino Progress, Chrysalis Center, Community Partners in Action, Goodwin College, Manchester Community College, members of the Greater Hartford Re-Entry Council, and is expanding to include the Hartford Reentry Welcome Center and health providers.
“As a result of the BEST Chance, comprehensive program 277 returning citizens have been placed in employment over the past two years in the Capitol Region,” according to Alex Johnson, President, and CEO of Capital Workforce Partners, the lead organization for the Partnership.
“The Hartford Foundation has supported BEST Chance since its launch in 2016, addressing gaps in services to complement state resources,” said Hartford Foundation Director of Grants and Partnership Investments Judy McBride. “Connecticut needs a continued and sustainable public and private commitment to reentry services that reflect best practices, as well as a commitment to effective coordination across programs and funding streams that affect returning citizens. We must also do more to share with potential employers the experiences of businesses that have hired previously incarcerated residents. These employers understand that returning citizens have received credentials in training programs and are not only ready to work, but also eager to prove their worth.”
“We fully support this successful program and thank our partners for their commitment to the community, as well as the employers in this partnership who recognize the value of a skilled employee,” said State Labor Commissioner Kurt Westby. “When we can connect people with employers, families flourish and our economy grows stronger.”