Partner4Work Awarded Nearly $1 Million to Career-Assist Allegheny County Jail Residents

PITTSBURGH, PA (October 6, 2022) – The Partner4Work (P4W) Pittsburgh Reentry Career Services program (PRCS) has been awarded $900,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, to help reduce recidivism and increase community safety as it works in partnership with the Allegheny County Jail (ACJ), PA CareerLink Pittsburgh ®, an American Job Center, and community-based organizations. The effort will improve employment services and connections and enable citizens to successfully reintegrate and remain in Allegheny County.

PRCS serves participants who are low-income individuals ages 18 and older and residing in the ACJ at the time of enrollment in the program. PRCS provides high-quality pre- and post-release career services to people incarcerated in the ACJ, including mentoring, scholarships to attend occupational training, transitional employment opportunities, subsidized wages for on-the-job training, job placement assistance, and supportive services with dedicated partners providing legal aid, housing, and transportation assistance.

Skilled workers in Allegheny County are in demand in several industries, including manufacturing, construction, transportation and logistics, financial services, and IT. Within each in-demand industry, P4W engaged with employers and community-based organizations to design and implement occupational training programs and career pathway models to assist job seekers facing systemic barriers to employment, including those with records. 

PRCS is built around the following core components: highly qualified program staff delivering pre- and post-release supportive and career services; participants’ choice of training and work-related activities that align with in-demand jobs and provide career-track employment at sustainable wages; and strong relationships with key partner agencies. These relationships will be leveraged during this project to further build access to these pathways for those with justice-system involvement.

About Partner4Work

Nationally recognized for innovation, Partner4Work delivers workforce solutions for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to ensure the current and future needs of businesses and job seekers are met. As stewards of more than $25 million in public and private workforce funds, Partner4Work oversees and funds workforce programs for adults, dislocated workers, and youth; educates the community through robust labor market analytics; and implements innovative solutions to the region's systemic workforce challenges. Partner4Work bridges the gap between people looking for work and companies in need of talent. More information is available at www.partner4work.org.

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