For the Baltimore City Department of Social Services, KRA operates the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program for jobseekers receiving TANF benefits, actively collaborating with local agencies and organizations to create training and employment opportunities for KRA/Baltimore customers.
In March, KRA/Baltimore developed a partnership with the Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC), founded in 1985 as an economic development agency in the Ravenswood Industrial Corridor, with initial efforts dedicated to developing and operating commercial buildings for industrial use.
Today, JARC operates the Center for Working Families, which specializes in job-training and certification programs that target skill-gap positions in the Manufacturing and IT sectors, e.g., Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machinists.
Ernestine Chambers, KRA/Baltimore Operations Manager, reported “This partnership will succeed in educating and training our qualified jobseekers for in-demand industry positions! From the beginning, JARC has involved us in its comprehensive assessment, screening, and selection processes for KRA/Baltimore candidates, all of whom will be afforded job-placement opportunities when they graduate the 12-week training program.
We will continue to pursue our goal of developing partnerships with organizations, such as the JARC Center and CFUF/STRIVE, whose workforce services’ objectives complement those of KRA/Baltimore, in developing workers and strengthening communities, by assisting TANF recipients achieve self- sufficiency for themselves and their families.”