SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CPS HR Consulting awarded its $20,000 Talent Management Innovation Grant to the City of Riverside, California, to help fund the Riverside at Work program, which transitions unemployed and homeless residents from survival to self-sufficiency.
In 2017, a question was added to a city survey in order to capture the primary reasons for individuals becoming homeless within Riverside County. Thirty-three percent selected unemployment as the primary reason, with 27 percent selecting lack of income for housing.
“With income being the main factor for homelessness in Riverside County, we knew we needed to provide some type of training to help our residents,” said Stephanie Holloman, Human Resources Director, the City of Riverside. “The City Council, Mayor Rusty Bailey, and the City Manager have made it a priority to end homelessness in the area, and the Riverside at Work initiative is the next step in achieving this goal. The grant from CPS HR will help us ensure these residents have on-the-job training, which is vital for finding employment today.”
To solve this issue, the Riverside at Work employment component will employ at least six homeless clients every six months. Program participants will:
- Attend training on life and job-readiness skills
- Receive 12 months of rental assistance
- Receive placement in a suitable part-time position
“The City of Riverside is taking on an issue that many cities try to sweep under the rug,” said Jerry Greenwell, CEO, CPS HR. “Trying to end homelessness is no easy task, but the city is addressing the main hurdles residents are facing, and we believe they will be successful in eradicating this issue. We’re glad we get to work alongside the City of Riverside on this solution.”
Participants will be selected by program counselors, who will consider those who have exhibited the ability and desire to complete required classes; meet minimum job requirements including graduation from high school or GED equivalent; and have a high likelihood of success for re-entry into the workforce.
Grant funds will be used toward purchasing materials and facilitating training for program participants. They will also be used to reimburse departments for the cost of mandatory safety equipment for each participant. Any remaining resources will be expended to fund a part-time human resources position to administer program components.
This component of the Riverside at Work initiative will begin July 1, 2018.
To be eligible for this grant, applicants must:
- Be a government agency in the U.S.
- Use the funds for internal staffing and expenses (not external consultants)
- Have the program be results-oriented
- Implement a program new to the agency that was linked to the agency’s future goals or strategic plan
- Demonstrate how the funds will be used
In addition, the agency has to implement the award within eight months of receiving the grant and then publish the results of the program to enable other agencies to use it as a model.
Previous winners of the Talent Management Innovation Grant include the Connecticut Department of Correction’s POWER Program and the Brownsville Public Utilities Board’s Millennial Apprenticeship for Engagement and Retention Program.
For more information about CPS HR and the grants it offers, visit: http://cpshr.us/about_us_grants.html.
About CPS HR Consulting
CPS HR Consulting, based in Sacramento, California, is a self-supporting public agency providing a full range of integrated HR solutions to government and nonprofit clients across the country. CPS HR consultants have expertise in the areas of organizational strategy, recruitment and selection, classification and compensation, and training and development. For more information, visit www.cpshr.us or connect with them on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus.
