FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — (July 01, 2021) – A $1 million “BE BOLD Prize” aimed at getting Broward County residents back to work is being awarded to Broward College for its new and innovative EMPLOYS Program.
EMPLOYS, which stands for Employment Management Program for Labor Opportunities that Yield Success, is a new component of Broward UP, the College’s expanded business model which increases access to post-secondary education and workforce training in Broward County zip codes most affected by unemployment or underemployment. Broward UP, which stands for “Unlimited Potential,” reduces barriers to access workforce training and aligns the training to needs of the local labor market in the business, health care, information technology, and manufacturing industries.
Broward UP will identify and recruit Broward residents who have been economically disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including individuals who have been chronically unemployed or underemployed in low-wage jobs. EMPLOYS participants will be part of workforce education and industry-recognized certification programs. Through EMPLOYS, 400 of these Broward residents in need of wrap-around intensive employment services will receive extensive help from the EMPLOYS team in the areas of transportation, technology, child care, career advice, employability skills training, case management, and job placement services. Broward College forecasts that 300 to 400 participants will find new jobs through the program.
EMPLOYS will provide incentives to Broward College community partners to become job placement agents for program participants. Community partners will include the Urban League of Broward County, Hispanic Unity, South Florida Anchor Alliance, Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council and others.
Seed money from the BE BOLD Prize will allow for the placement of up to 400 participants into good jobs in the local workforce. Broward College plans to continue the program beyond the initial two-year period funded by the Community Foundation’s BE BOLD Prize, through the endowment of a $30M grant the school recently received from MacKenzie Scott.
“Preparing our students for post-completion success is critical,” said Broward College President Gregory Haile, J.D. “It’s not enough to get students into the classroom and have them earn a credential. We have to support them through the employment process. We are very grateful to receive the BE BOLD Prize, which will have a tremendous impact on our ability to create a seamless transition from higher education opportunities to placement in Broward County’s workforce.”
“The EMPLOYS Program of Broward College is the perfect combination of BOLD innovation and targeted results needed to implement the $1 million BE BOLD Prize,” said Jennifer O’Flannery Anderson, President, and CEO of Community Foundation of Broward. “The Community Foundation wants to get Broward residents back to work, whether they have been impacted by job losses related to COVID-19 or are victims of chronic unemployment or underemployment in certain segments of our community.”
Community Foundation of Broward announced the BE BOLD Prize in January with the goal of encouraging new ways of thinking that move beyond traditional workforce development programs and embrace an innovative idea and solution for transformative community impact. Ten of the 13 BE BOLD Prize applications qualified for review.
A distinguished panel of Foundation Board Members, local and statewide business and community leaders, as well as nonprofit executives, evaluated the applications based on the following criteria: innovation, community impact, collaboration, commitment to equity, reach across the community, program sustainability, and the capacity of an organization to execute its proposed program.
For more information about the $1 million dollars BE BOLD Prize grant, please contact Kirk Englehardt, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Community Foundation at kenglehardt@cfbroward.org or call 954-761-9503.
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About Community Foundation of Broward:
Founded in 1984, the Community Foundation of Broward (CFB) helps families, individuals, and corporations create personalized charitable Funds that deliver game-changing philanthropic impact. 473 charitable Funds represent more than $212 million in assets, distributing $119 million in grants over the past 35 years. CFB provides bold leadership on community solutions and fosters philanthropy that connects people who care with causes that matter – which empowers visionaries, innovators, and doers to create the change they want to see in the community – and BE BOLD. www.cfbroward.org.
About Broward College:
Serving approximately 60,000 students annually, Broward College provides residents with certificate programs, two-year university-transfer degrees, two-year career degrees, and baccalaureate degrees in selected programs. The mission of the College is to provide high-quality educational programs and services that are affordable and accessible to a diverse community of learners. For more information, visit www.broward.edu.