Currently, unemployment remains high as the labor market wrestles to regain lost jobs.

While the struggling economy affects Americans at all income and education levels, the challenges are particularly acute for those with multiple barriers to employment, including formerly incarcerated individuals, younger workers, and refugees who have not been successful in traditional employment placement or job training programs.

Providing these populations with transitional jobs—temporary, subsidized work coupled with support services like job coaching and assistance finding full-time employment—is an important strategy for helping people gain meaningful skills in demand by today’s employers. Successful programs have been developed, yet due to financial strains on state and federal budgets, they only serve a fraction of people who could benefit from these resources.

An alliance of workforce groups and individuals, including Joyce grantee, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights, developed the National Transitional Jobs Network, a coalition of transitional jobs programs, policy organizations, and government representatives who are advancing employment solutions for people who have difficulty entering and succeeding in the workforce. With nearly 4,000 members, the Network advocates for state and federal policies to support the hard-to-employ. In addition, their work promotes public understanding and awareness of the value of investing in transitional jobs.

With a Joyce grant, the Network will develop a new standards guide for transitional jobs programs, grow its education efforts through new communications tools, and actively engage in state and federal advocacy. In addition, the Network will provide guidance and expertise on another Joyce initiative, the Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration (TJRD) project, which is aimed at identifying effective employment strategies for men transitioning from prison to work.

“During the downturn of our economy, we need to give those who face serious barriers to work a real chance to succeed,” said Amy Rynell, director of the National Transitional Jobs Network. “Transitional jobs programs provide job seekers with the skills and the experience they need to succeed on their journey toward economic independence.”

For more information on Joyce Foundation’s Employment program, please visit here.