A team of area officials involved in Secure Jobs was invited to join the “Opening Doors Summit” at the U.S. Department of Labor, said Pamela Schwartz, director of the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness.
“We are thrilled to bring our success to Washington, D.C., and share to share it with federal and community partners,” said Lisa Lapierre, program director for Secure Jobs, within a prepared press release. ”We look forward to bringing back new ideas to help create new employment opportunities for the homes population in Western Mass.”
Secure Jobs is a workforce development program serving homeless families and individuals in the region.
In the first year of Secure Jobs, launched in 2013 and initially called Secure Jobs Connect, nearly 100 parents in homeless families entered employment, according to Lapierre. The program involves both private and public funds.
One year after its launch, 84 percent of the participants have remained in their employment and 95 percent have maintained stable housing, Lapierre said.
The Secure Jobs program is designed to integrate training, community service, work experience, child care, and transportation needs, officials said.
Thursday’s summit is sponsored by the Butler Family Fund, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
The Western Mass. Secure Jobs program is one of 11 such programs in the country.
The Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness was the convener of the Secure Jobs Advisory Council, which coordinates the workforce development efforts, Schwartz said.
The Secure Jobs program is a joint project of the nonprofit organizations Corporation for Public Management and HAPHousing.
Several officials from participating agencies plan to attend the summit.