CMJTS Will Use Funds to Provide Career Guidance and Mentorship to Justice-Involved Individuals.
Contact: Dina Wuornos, Program Manager, 800.284.7425 or [email protected]
MONTICELLO, MN — April 27, 2023 — Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, Inc. (CMJTS), the nonprofit employment and training partner of the local CareerForce System, received the Pilot Re-entry Competitive Grant, Project 180. The Department of Employment and Economic Development awarded this grant to 13 Minnesota organizations. Funding for this pilot program comes from the state’s Workforce Development Fund.
“Formerly incarcerated individuals returning home experience higher unemployment, are at risk of homelessness, and living in poverty. Basic needs such as food, housing, and health are essential to their re-entry success.” said CMJTS Program Manager Dina Wuornos. “Supportive relationships are essential to individual success during re-entry. Therefore, from the beginning of the intake process all the way through to placement, a career navigator will deliver an individualized approach to serving justice-involved persons, helping participants to navigate the challenges they face during the reintegration process.”
This $200,000 grant will give CMJTS the ability to recruit 40 individuals soon to be released or individuals released in the last 3-6 months. Participating individuals can be located anywhere in Minnesota, and priority is given to those residing in one of the CMJTS service area counties (Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Renville, Pine, Sherburne, and Wright). To learn more about Project 180, or CMJTS’ other employment and training programs, interested parties can contact the agency at (800) 284-7425.
Since its beginning in 1984 as Private Industry Council 5, CMJTS has been passionate about providing quality training and job placement services to customers in central Minnesota. Throughout its 11-county region, jobseekers—adults, youth, entry-level, career-changers, low-income, and dislocated workers—count on CMJTS for professional career guidance based on their circumstances, economic self-sufficiency needs, and local labor market demands. Businesses count on CMJTS for qualified workers to fill their jobs.
