Job Seekers – Seedco

Jobseekers

The Employment Landscape

Navigating the employment landscape is more challenging than ever, as technological advances, the rise of contract and part-time work, and an increasingly diverse workforce are changing the nature of work. In particular, target populations with less access to education and work opportunities need support in finding jobs, accessing benefits that foster stability, and advancing in their careers.

Youth Advancing in the Workplace | Strong Fathers, Stronger Families

West Baltimore Career Pathways Collaborative

Turning Point Memphis | Re-entering into Society to Excel

Bridges to Careers: Supporting Justice-Involved Young Adults

Youth Advancing in the Workplace

Since 2014, Seedco has worked with young adults in New York City to enter the workforce, become more independent, and plan for their futures. Our program identifies growing opportunities, primarily in the food sector, and combines:

Relationships with community-based organizations for outreach and recruitment
Cohort training in which participants explore career pathways, prepare for certificate attainment, and get
support from their peers
Long-term career case management, with a focus on financial empowerment
Partnerships with employers for placement and advancement

Seedco is a partner in CareerLift, a pilot project with the potential to transform how workforce development programs are sustained. Together with Social Finance and the NYC Center for Youth Employment, a project of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC, Seedco is working toward launching the country’s first pay-for-success funding model in which employers pay a community partner for retention services. Youth Advancing in the Workplace is currently funded by The Pinkerton Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation through the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC.

Strong Fathers, Stronger Families

Strong Fathers, Stronger Families helps fathers find jobs, achieve economic stability, establish healthy
relationships, and make a positive impact on the lives of their children. Seedco and its partners take a
comprehensive approach by providing:

Workshops on healthy relationships, responsible parenting, and economic stability
Case management and referrals to support services
Job readiness and placement services
Post-employment support with an emphasis on job retention,
advancement, and financial coaching

By partnering with other community-based organizations, BronxWorks and STRIVE International, SFSF is able to reach and serve low-income fathers in NYC, with a focus on the South Bronx and East Harlem. Additionally, Seedco has partnered with the Urban Institute to provide guidance on quality improvement for program implementation. Since 2011, we have served more than 5,000 fathers. The US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, funds the program.

West Baltimore Career Pathways Collaborative

Seedco’s West Baltimore Career Pathways Collaborative engages local employers, service providers, and correctional agencies in establishing career pathways for individuals coming out of the criminal justice system. By helping individuals find a job and establish a path for advancement, Seedco improves their chances of successfully integrating into their communities and staying out of prison.

Since 2015, our program implements training and placement around locally in-demand sectors, including manufacturing and construction, and integrates:

access to training, education, and career development services;
case management to address life issues that are barriers for success; and
job placement to connect participants in long-term, well-paying jobs

A key partner in outreach and service delivery is Bon Secours Community Works. Other local partners in the West Baltimore CPC include the Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services, the Baltimore Workforce Investment Board, the Mayor’s Office of Human Services – ReEntry Division, and Job Opportunities Task Force. The US Department of Labor funds this program.

Turning Point Memphis

Because young adults with a criminal justice history have higher rates of recidivism than older adults, they need a strong support system to re-integrate into their home communities. Seedco initiated its Turning Point Memphis program in 2017 to help young adults coming out of the justice system to get job training and placement in a high-demand sector. In addition, the program provides comprehensive case management, with access to specialized services from partner providers to address health, legal, housing, and other needs. We place a high priority on personal stability, so young adults can focus on employment goals. Participants can also take part in a Young Adults Advisory Council and provide leadership to their peers.

The US Department of Labor funds this program.

Re-entering into Society to Excel

Building upon the partnerships and systems established across its other local programs serving those with a criminal history background, Seedco established its RISE program in 2018 to improve employment outcomes for adults who have been incarcerated or recently released in the Memphis metropolitan region, including West Memphis, Arkansas.

Seedco’s program integrates case management, job readiness, occupational training, connections to apprenticeship, placement in employment, financial coaching, parenting skills, mentoring, legal services, enrollment in public benefits, and follow-up care. Our strengths are strong community relationships that expand the resources available to participants, including literacy and education, legal services, and health care. Partnerships provide opportunities in distribution and logistics, food, and construction sectors, all experiencing strong job growth locally.

The US Department of Labor funds this program.

Bridges to Careers: Supporting Justice-Involved Young Adults

Starting in 2018, Seedco is scaling its impact in positively affecting employment among young adults that have involvement in the juvenile or adult criminal justice system. The program implements a national model, while integrating localized approaches in New York, Maryland, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The comprehensive program is focuses on in-demand industries and combines:

case management and assessment
occupational training and credential attainment
placement in employment
supportive services, such as financial coaching, parenting skills workshops, mentoring, enrollment in public benefits, and follow-up care

Service in Six States

We have a program specific to Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New York, and Tennessee – and we are always on the lookout for new communities

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