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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Carolyn Marinan, Hennepin County Chief Public Relations Officer, 612-910-9111
Rick Fuentes, Project for Pride in Living Director of Communications, 612-505-8109
Virtual event will celebrate program graduates
Since 2014, the Pathways Program has connected over 550 graduates with jobs at Hennepin County and other local employers.
County and local officials will celebrate the graduation of the next class of Pathways Program graduates at an event today, Thursday, March 24. Fourteen graduates will have completed the Office Specialist program, which prepares them for opportunities across the county.
This program is a partnership between Hennepin County and Project in Pride for Living to provide training to job seekers that provides an entry point into a career pathway.
" I want to thank our partner, Project for Pride in Living for their ongoing partnership and service to those most in need within our community," said Hennepin County Board Chair Marion Greene. "Their creativity in designing employment and training programs to serve the unemployed and underemployed, underrepresented, BIPOC, veterans, and those with criminal records– is a force multiplier with the county’s disparity reduction initiatives. I also want to thank our federal partners, since ARPA gave us the flexibility to make investments to expand our programs and partnerships such as this one."
The placement rate of program graduates into new careers is above 90%. One year after graduates were hired, 88% have remained at their jobs. Over 44% of county hires have advanced to higher level positions. With two additional programs in development in the labor and security industries, the county has three existing cohort model programs that have been in place for over five years.
“These programs are a way for us to build talent pipelines for the county workforce, and also for our regional business partners,” said Hennepin County Administrator David Hough. "The goal is to place individuals into jobs with livable wages, stability and advancement potential which helps reduce disparities."
“We are thrilled to continue graduating people into the next leg of their careers. Supportive opportunities are critical to get our communities back to work, especially as we recover from the multiple pandemics. The region’s success will be dependent upon ensuring that BIPOC communities earn family-sustaining wages and wealth building opportunities,” said Antonio Cardona, Vice President of Career Readiness at Project for Pride in Living.
Event details
The event will be held virtually on Zoom at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 24
To receive a link to the event contact Rick Fuentes.
Follow the event live on Twitter @PPLTwinCities
Resources and information
Find more information on Hennepin County Pathways programs at hennepin.us.
Find more information about Project for Pride in Living programs at Career Training | Project for Pride in Living (ppl-inc.org).
Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at hennepin.us/news.
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