Citizens Announces New Partnerships with Urban League of Essex County & Other Non-Profits for Workforce Development Initiative

By National Urban League
Published11 AM EST, Fri Nov 22, 2024
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NEWARK (April 3, 2023) - Residents and businesses in Hudson and Essex Counties will benefit from broader and more equitable access to job training and development programs under a $340,000 workforce development programming commitment announced today by Citizens.

The initiative, benefitting LISC Greater Newark, Urban League of Essex County (Newark, NJ), Per Scholas and Year Up New Jersey, will focus on enabling skills-based job training in evolving industries, bridging the digital skills gap in historically marginalized communities and more.

“Citizens is committed to helping communities across New Jersey thrive, and equitable access to skills training is an essential element as businesses seek specialized skills,” said Bruce Van Saun, Chairman and CEO, Citizens Financial Group. “We recognize that such access is key to the economic viability of the places we serve and we are proud to partner with these organizations to help people build the skills they need to compete for jobs now and in the future.”

The program continues Citizens’ commitment to fostering neighborhood revitalization and economic development in the New York City metro region. Throughout the communities it serves, Citizens has built a successful track record of connecting community partners with job skill programs to employers looking to hire for specialized roles.

The funding from Citizens announced today includes:

  • $140,000 to LISC Greater Newark, part of a $1.25 million grant to LISC from the Citizens Charitable Foundation, that will be used to fuel digital inclusion in historically marginalized communities, helping residents build the skills they need to compete for jobs. The $1.25 million grant builds on a pilot program, also supported by the bank, that tested approaches to bridging the digital skills gap through LISC Financial Opportunity Centers. It will help launch and expand digital services that prepare people for growth industries, including the information technology field.
  • $100,000 from the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation to support the Urban League of Essex County’s Clean Energy Job Program, a partnership with PSE&G to train and place individuals in clean energy jobs.
  • $50,000 from the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation to Per Scholas, benefitting the Per Scholas Alumni Upskilling program, with a focus on providing continued support to program alumni to help them remain on a successful path and further advance in their careers in the rapidly evolving tech world.
  • $50,000 from the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation to Year Up New Jersey to support their skills-based job training pathways program. This will provide much-needed IT job training and software development as well as business operations, sales and customer support. This is part of the bank’s larger commitment of $150,000 to Year Up and will expand its program support into both New Jersey and Philadelphia.

To get more information, please read the full press release here.