Phoenix-area group awarded more than $800K for job assistance program
Feb 15, 2018, 4:24 AM
Maricopa County supervisor Steve Gallardo (second to right) presented CPLC a $827,631 check to help fund a two-year program meant to help youth and adults find jobs and get career training. (KTAR News/Griselda Zetino)
(KTAR News/Griselda Zetino)
PHOENIX — A local community group is getting big bucks to help young people primarily from low-income communities looking for jobs.
Chicanos Por La Causa has been awarded a grant worth $827,631 from the Maricopa County Industrial Development Authority to launch a two-year program.
The program will help youth and adults in the Maryvale neighborhood find jobs and get career training.
“This funding is going to be very, very instrumental in helping place youth and adults on career pathways that lead into long-term employment that is sustainable,” said Victor Contreras, director of workforce solutions for Chicanos Por La Causa.
Contreras said as part of the program, they’ll have hiring events every month and invite dozens of companies to come do on-site interviews. They’ll also provide career counseling and help young people get into college.
Steve Gallardo, a member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, presented the organization a check on Wednesday on behalf of the Industrial Development Authority. He said the money will go a long way in helping young people struggling to find jobs.
“They don’t know where to go, they don’t know where to turn,” he said. “And this particular money is going to help these kids get in the right direction.”
