Over the course of the year, the City of Hawthorne is partnering with the South Bay Workforce and Investment Board (SBWIB) to provide classroom training, job support services and paid work experience opportunities to participants in the Unhoused Program.
This joint effort is aimed at creating new and improved career pathways to Hawthorne’s community members who would have otherwise lacked access to these educational resources.
During the pilot program, there will be a total of 20 participants. Ten participants will receive educational and vocational training customized to their unique educational and professional needs, an experience that is valued at approximately $4,000 per participant.
The SBWIB will provide an additional 10 paid work experience positions for 20 weeks at a compensation rate of $16.04 per hour, including taxes and workers’ compensation insurance. The compensation rate for each work experience will increase to $16.90 in July of 2023.
Related Links:
https://lasentinel.net/casa-de-rosas-opens-to-housing-homeless-veterans.html
“Communities of folks experiencing homelessness are overlooked and left without support all too often,” said City Manager Vontray Norris. “We’re proud to be partnering with the SBWIB to make this unique employment opportunity possible, and hope to expand our support services in the future. Advocating for all of our communities will create a stronger Hawthorne.”
This partnership represents a significant step forward in the city’s efforts to provide comprehensive support to unhoused individuals, leveraging the SBWIB’s expertise and resources to break the cycle of unemployment and to give participants the best chance of securing a stable career. Initial participants in the program will have undergone an extensive case management process alongside representatives from the City’s homeless task force. The City of Hawthorne and the SBWIB will each provide 50% of the funding for the program.
To learn more about the Unhoused to Work program, head to the hour mark of the March 28 City Council Meeting recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq1cj6FMfew.
For more information on the City’s resources for unhoused community members, visit our website at https://www.cityofhawthorne.org/departments/community-services/housing-and-homelessness-resources.
The City provides a variety of additional resources for the Unhoused Community such as referrals to legal support agencies, programs for veterans, various hotlines and housing resources, including the construction of a number of pallet shelters. Learn more about how to access all of these sources of support with the City of Hawthorne’s Homeless Resource Guide.
