March 14, 2020

Truman Heartland Community Foundation (THCF) was recently awarded a $60,000 grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in support of their new community initiative, Job Skills for New Careers.

A collaborative partnership with Community Services League, Herndon Career Center, Mid-Continent Public Library and University of Central Missouri (UCM), Job Skills for New Careers is aimed at helping break the cycle of poverty by providing no-charge job training for in-demand careers.

This grant will help Truman Heartland and partners provide wraparound support services through Community Services League, such as public benefits counseling and financial coaching, to assist in removing barriers that may prevent program participants from successfully completing their training.

“We believe that these wraparound services are the key to this program’s success,” said Phil Hanson, President and CEO of Truman Heartland Community Foundation. “Low-income workers are faced with many different challenges. Wraparound services help them navigate these hurdles and reach their goals both during the program and for the future.”

Through this initiative, participants will be matched with support services through Community Services League, community resources through Mid-Continent Public Library and opportunities for trainings available through Herndon Career Center and UCM in fields that pay living wages and are in high demand in the region, including healthcare, other medical fields and skilled industrial trades. These services will all be provided at no cost to the participants.

“The collaboration between several community partners will ensure more individuals have pathways to high-demand careers that require a postsecondary credential and have the support to navigate challenges along the way,” said Amy Gale, Senior Program Officer in Education for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. “With a focus on connecting education to regional workforce needs, the Kauffman Foundation is honored to be able to support this work.”

In addition to funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Truman Heartland fundholders are helping kickstart this new partnership. In late 2019, Truman Heartland set out to raise $120,000 to fund the training of 48 people in the first year. Fundholders responded generously and to date they are 90 percent to goal with $109,000.

“This initiative has the potential to make a long-term impact on the entire region,” said Hanson. “We are grateful for the expertise of our partners and the support of Kauffman and so many caring individuals in our community.”

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with the first cohort planned to launch in March. Visit newskills.cslcares.org to learn more and to apply for job training and support through the Job Skills for New Careers initiative.