Capital Workforce Partners Receives Grant for Hartford Jobs Funnel Initiative

HARTFORD – In an effort to increase retention and support services among Hartford Jobs Funnel apprentices, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has awarded the Capital Workforce Partners a $166,000 grant. The grant will primarily provide Jobs Funnel construction and flooring installation trainees with helpful instruction in order to work with select local minority-owned businesses, as well as provide job retention support after they are placed.  A portion of the grant is made possible by two funds at the Hartford Foundation: the Woman’s Exchange of West Hartford Fund and the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund.

Hartford Jobs Funnel began in 1999 and provides Hartford residents with career and training opportunities primarily in construction-related fields. Although its initial focus was to engage apprentices for the “Six Pillars” projects and “Adriaen’s Landing” efforts in Hartford, the “Funnel” has since expanded the program to a number of other construction-related opportunities. Partnering with Painters and Allied Trades District Council # 11, the “Funnel” is able to train its students in high-demand areas such as painting, glazing and flooring installation. With the funding from the Hartford Foundation, the “Funnel” is now also capable of customizing training for each of its candidates’ very specific needs in terms of job development skills.

Its target population is Hartford residents, eighteen years and older, who may or may not be currently employed or have construction work experience. Many applicants also have significant barriers preventing them from acquiring steady jobs, such as past felony convictions, homelessness, etc.
 The Hartford Foundation and Capital Workforce Partners were instrumental in the development of the Hartford Jobs Funnel, and have provided significant support for its implementation since then.

Capital Workforce Partners is a regional Workforce Investment Board serving 37 municipalities in North Central Connecticut.  The Board coordinates comprehensive programs for job seekers and employers and their mission is to leverage public and private resources to produce skilled workers for a competitive regional economy.  The Hartford Jobs Funnel is a partner with Capital Workforce Partners and CTWorks.  For more information about Capital Workforce Partners, visit www.capitalworkforce.org or call 522-1111.

For over 80 years, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has built successful partnerships with donors and nonprofits to improve the quality of life for residents of the 29-town Greater Hartford region.  The Foundation receives gifts from thousands of generous individuals and families, and last year, awarded grants of more than $24 million to a broad range of area nonprofit organizations.  For more information about the Foundation, visit www.hfpg.org or call 548-1888.