Markeshia Ricks Photo
Mason: State cuts are coming.
New Haven Works has placed its 1,000th Elm City resident into a job — but may have trouble continuing that work in the face of proposed budget cuts.
New Haven Works Executive Director Melissa Mason told alders at a recent City Hall hearing on the proposed new city budget that her organization— which started in 2012 as a “pipeline” to get unemployed New Haveners into local jobs — has placed residents from all over the city in jobs.
But it will need an increase of $50,000 more from the city as it prepares to place its next 1,000 job seekers, she said.
“We have a lot further to go,” Mason said. “We’re asking you to believe in us to do even more.”
Mason said the group’s current applicant pool of people trained, qualified and ready to work hovers between the 400 and 500 mark. She said the organization has been able to make 1,200 referrals to its 60 participating employers, which include “anchor” employers like Yale University, Yale-New Haven Hospital and the City of New Haven. In 2016 it made 379 job placements, 232 of which were for permanent positions.
Mason called the increase in funds asked from the city a reflection of challenging financial times. The city has provided about 5 percent of New Haven Works’ budget. Increasing that funding from $50,000 to $100,000 would raise the contribution to 10 percent. She told alders that the organization, which receives between 30 percent and 40 percent of its funding from the state Department of Labor, is anticipating cuts of about $100,000 from Hartford.
But it is pressing forward with efforts to get another 500 new members and to develop new programs such as one aimed at the construction field. A construction pipeline project, which is the result of a partnership with the city and Emerge Connecticut Inc., will develop a ready-to-refer pool for construction workers and develop a group of people to work on commercial construction sites around the city, she said.
“The city’s Hill to Downtown project is one that we’re looking forward to being able to refer folks,” she said.
I certainly hope the funders' support doesn't flag now--with the H2D project and Yale's local hiring commitment, this would be a particularly foolish time to let a succeeding program take a budget hit.