Jane Addams Resource Corporation
The Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC) Baltimore trains unemployed and/or underemployed Baltimore City residents in welding and computer numerical control (CNC) at the Regional Skills Training Center on Park Heights Avenue in West Baltimore. With funding from the Abell Foundation, students receive hands-on training and earn industry-recognized credentials in a work-like environment. Beyond technical skills training, JARC Baltimore provides employment readiness and financial support services to trainees during and after training. Graduates are placed in jobs earning an average of $16.80 per hour.
Job Opportunities Task Force
The Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF) is an independent nonprofit organization that works to develop and advocate policies and programs to increase the skills, job opportunities, and incomes of low-skill, low-income Maryland workers and job seekers. In partnership with Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), JOTF operates Project JumpStart, a pre-apprenticeship construction program that provides low-income Baltimore City residents with 14 weeks of pre-apprenticeship training in plumbing, electrical and carpentry. With funding from the Abell Foundation, Project Jumpstart plans to serve 125 residents over six classes in two locations in Baltimore City. Approximately 80% of those who are enrolled will complete; 75% of those who complete will be placed into employment with wages averaging over $12/hr. For the past two years, 28% of those who are placed into employment have enrolled into the four-year ABC apprenticeship program. First-year apprentices earn between $12 and $16 per hour; with annual increases, by the time an apprentice graduates in four years and obtains journeymen status, he or she is earning $24 to $36 per hour.
South Baltimore Learning Center
The South Baltimore Learning Center (SBLC) has provided adult education services to Baltimore City residents for nearly three decades, serving more than 600 adult students each year. With funding from the Abell Foundation, SBLC plans to offer 12 classes at the Regional Skills Training Center (RSTC) located on Park Heights Avenue in West Baltimore. Classes will include three low literacy/low math classes designed for applicants that did not qualify for sector skills training programs located at the RSTC, three traditional pre-GED classes for eligible training participants, and three GED fast-track classes. SBLC’s goal is to provide effective instruction that will result in the grade level gains needed to access one of the sector training programs in the RSTC.
United Way of Central Maryland, Inc.
When wage earners in low-income families experience an increase in income, they often lose eligibility for certain benefits, resulting in a decrease in the gross resources available for the family; this is known as the “benefits cliff.” This grant supports research by the United Way and the Schaefer Center for Public Policy on the impact of the benefits cliff on Maryland working families.
Associated Catholic Charities, Inc.
The Samaritan Center – a project of Catholic Charities – offers to help people resolve emergency needs and increase self-sufficiency through information and referral services, direct financial assistance, and advocacy. This grant provided eviction prevention funds to serve 120 households at risk of homelessness. The Samaritan Center works closely with low-income families and landlords to resolve unpaid rent and ensure clients remain stably house after receiving assistance.