National Fund for Workforce Solutions Awards $145,000 Social Innovation Fund Grant to Central Iowa Works
Des Moines, Iowa (PRWEB) January 08, 2015 -- Fred Dedrick, executive director of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, a national partnership of communities, employers, workers, and philanthropy, announced the awarding of a new $145,000 Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grant to Central Iowa Works. (CIW).
CIW is a workforce intermediary which brings together employers and workers, public and private funding streams, and relevant partners to create and implement pathways to career advancement and employment.
“We are honored to receive this grant from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions that will allow us to continue to provide necessary job training and support services to individuals in central Iowa to achieve their career goals,” said Pat Steele, Site Director for Central Iowa Works. “With this support from the National Fund, we’ll be able to assist more employers to recruit and hire qualified workers.”
Central Iowa Works along with more than a dozen other National Fund collaboratives was awarded these funds based on program criteria including high performance levels, demonstrated commitment to the National Fund’s demand-driven model, and the ability to meet matching fund requirements.
While specific program activities vary among collaborative communities, Central Iowa Works will direct this new $145,000 award toward job training in advanced manufacturing, health care, financial services, and construction.
“With this award, Central Iowa Works will bolster its efforts to meet the demand of central Iowa employers by connecting workers and jobseekers to careers with advancement opportunities,” said Fred Dedrick, executive director of the National Fund.
Through the Social Innovation Fund, the National Fund currently supports regional workforce funder collaboratives that are creating locally designed workforce solutions in 23 communities across the country. SIF has enabled the National Fund generate support by matching the funds of more than a dozen national foundations dollar for dollar. Results show that the National Fund is making strides in moving incumbent workers and jobseekers toward career opportunities and advancement.
About the National Fund for Workforce Solutions
The National Fund for Workforce Solutions, based in Boston, MA, is an unprecedented initiative of more than 400 national and local funders that support regional funding collaboratives in 36 communities across the country. The National Fund partners with businesses, communities, and philanthropy to develop employer-driven workforce strategies to help low-wage workers and jobseekers obtain career opportunities, while creating talent supply chains that close skills gaps and strengthen local economies. To learn more about the National Fund, visit http://www.nfwsolutions.org.
About Central Iowa Works
The goal of Central Iowa Works (CIW) is to close the skills gap in central Iowa. Iowa has a shortage of employees to fill the existing middle skills jobs in our state. CIW meets the needs of employers by helping them recruit and hire qualified workers while at the same time addressing the needs of job seekers by helping them get trained and hired for real jobs with pathways for growth. Since October 1, 2011, it has served 899 job seekers, enrolled 727 individuals in training/education, and has placed 514 individuals in jobs. It has also served 1,470 incumbent workers and enrolled 1,392 incumbent workers in training/education. To learn more about Central Iowa Works visit http://centraliowaworks.org.
About the Social Innovation Fund
The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) is a key White House initiative and program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. It has the simple but vital goal of finding solutions that work and making them work for more people. SIF unites public and private resources to evaluate and grow innovative community-based solutions that have evidence of results in low-income communities in any of three priority areas: economic opportunity, healthy futures, and youth development. For more information on the Social Innovation Fund and how to get involved, visit http://nationalservice.gov/programs/social-innovation-fund.
Pat Steele, Central Iowa Works, http://centraliowaworks.org/, +1 515-246-2511, [email protected]
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