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First Step Next Step
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One hallmark of Nexus is our willingness to support new ideas and take chances where others may not. These experiences always teach us something, and every once in a while take us places we didn't expect.
Our grant to Employer Solutions, Inc. wrapped up on December 31, 2009. I spent the first quarter of 2010, checking in with the multiple partners that made the First Step-Next Step (FSNS) such a success. What made this so rewarding for everyone was the unintended benefits of the Community-Based Workforce Development Program. When Nexus, ESI and representatives from cultural communities first designed this component, we knew we were creating something new. We asked agencies who wanted to refer their clients to the FSNS training to provide on-going support to their client throughout the training and into job placement. All too often, people are referred to job training programs and for a variety of reasons, sick child, car trouble, etc., they aren't able to see it through. If the referring agency was able to stay in close contact with their client, then they could address any challenges that arose. We were looking for agencies that had a relationship with the participant.
Not all organizations that wanted to refer participants had the capacity to provide the ongoing support. So what happened? Job training organizations and community groups formed new partnerships and worked together in ways they hadn't before. They created a web of support for each person accepted into the training program. For example, if a participant was having some financial trouble they were referred to the Centers for Working Families. If the Cultural Wellness Center knew of a community member who would be the right fit, but they didn't have the staff capacity to provide the support, they connected them to Goodwill Easter Seals who could.
Each organization involved saw the difference it made for the training participants when they had the ongoing support services. They also saw the benefit of working together differently and the potential for strengthening workforce development programs for the East Side.
Learn more about our partnership with Employer Solutions Inc., and the First Step Next Step Program on our impact page here.