CT employment agency named federal grant recipient for helping formerly incarcerated people find jobs

A Connecticut employment agency has been named a recipient of a federal grant for its role in helping formerly incarcerated people find jobs , officials said.

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded The WorkPlace in Bridgeport a $2.5 million grant, according to the agency.

The funds are part of more than $56 million in Pathway Home grants to help reduce recidivism and assist people in re-entering their communities after being incarcerated. Authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act , the grants provide funding to complete training for skills most valued by local employers.

Pathway Home grants help eliminate gaps between release from prison or jail and enrollment in a workforce development program. Grantees must partner with a state correctional facility or local or county jail for the project to have access to participants before their return to their communities, according to a press release.

“The Pathway Home grants we announced today will allow justice-involved individuals to get the training they need to secure good jobs as they re-enter their communities following a term of incarceration,” said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training José Javier Rodríguez in a press release. “The Biden-Harris administration recognizes that our communities are safer when formerly incarcerated Americans have access to good jobs. These grants enable participants to begin skills training before their release, better preparing them to start their new lives.”

The WorkPlace was originally founded as the Private Industry Council of Southern Connecticut in 1983.  Today, the employment agency serves as the workforce development board for Southwestern Connecticut, according to its website .

Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com