Better Family Life Receives Grant to Put 700 People Back to Work
Contacts:
Val Joyner Nancy G. Schnoebelen
Better Family Life, Inc. St. Louis County Economic Council
314.746.0824, 314.615.7617
vjoyner@metcenterstl.com, nschnoebelen@slcec.com
WHAT: Better Family Life, Incorporated announces plans for its $3.3 million Pathways Out of Poverty federal grant, which will offer comprehensive workforce development services to 900 qualifying low income individuals from the St. Louis area. Seven hundred program participants will receive employment placement in green industry jobs such as weatherization and solar photovoltaic installers, LEED green associates and biofuel collection technicians; priority will be given to veterans.
Program Participants:
- Missouri Congressman William "Lacy" Clay, Jr.
- St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley
- President and CEO St. Louis County Economic Council Denny Coleman
- President and CEO Better Family Life, Malik Ahmed
- Chief Operating Officer Better Family Life, Carolyn Seward
- Executive Director of Workforce Development St. Louis County, Gene Gorden
WHEN: 11 a.m., Wednesday, February 17, 2010
WHERE: Metropolitan Education and Training (MET) Center
6347 Plymouth Ave, St. Louis, MO 63133
Background:
The downturn in the national and state economy has forced millions of highly skilled, displaced workers to seek employment opportunities outside of their field of expertise. As a result, employment opportunities for disadvantaged workers (i.e., high school drop outs, individuals with criminal records, and unemployed individuals) have become increasingly sparse, further widening the gap between being skill deficient and economically self sufficient.
The Pathways Out of Poverty grant aims to bridge the gap by ensuring disadvantaged workers receive job readiness skills necessary to combat poverty while securing employment opportunities in the emerging green industry.
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