Pathways Out of Poverty (POP) is an American workforce development program that was established on August 14, 2009 by the Obama administration and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration announced POP grantees on January 13, 2010. POP targets individuals living below or near the poverty level to provide them with skills needed to enter the green job market, focusing on the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. The training programs focus on teaching basic literacy and job readiness skills. Some of the programs also provide supportive assistance with childcare and transportation to overcome barriers to employment.
History Pathways Out of Poverty is administered by the United States Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. Roughly $150 million is authorized by the ARRA and is granted in amounts from $2 million-$8 million to eight national and 30 local entities for the provision of training and placement services in order “to provide pathways out of poverty and into employment.” The Department of Labor particularly encouraged applicants to focus on serving Public Micro Data Areas (PUMAs) with poverty rates of 15 percent or higher.
Pathways Out of Poverty is part of the "fourth wave" of economic development, which stipulates an environmentally-sustainable approach.
A principal condition of POP is the training of disadvantaged populations for “employment within energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.” This type of employment is sometimes known as "green jobs" or "green-collar" jobs. As mandated by the POP grant, the grantees primarily target low income individuals, veterans, at-risk youth, high school dropouts, the unemployed and underemployed, ex-criminals, and individuals with limited English ability. In addition, some grantees report recruiting public assistance recipients, the homeless, people with disabilities, older workers, women, minorities, and refugees.
Each grantee is free to choose and make partnerships with any organization, including public, private, and not-for-profit. Some examples of partners include community colleges, technical schools, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, and trade groups.
Grantees The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration announced the 38 national and local organizations that would be receiving grants on January 13, 2010. The grantees for Pathways Out of Poverty (POP) consist of two types: (1) national non-profits that are connected with local organizations; and (2) local public organizations and private non-profits.
There are eight national grantees:
Organization Locations Award Amount Participants Served East Harlem Employment Services Inc. New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Hartford, CT; Benton, MI; Flint, MI; Baltimore, MD $4,728,419 Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, and individuals with criminal records Goodwill Industries International (GII) Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Charlotte, NC; Grand Rapids, MI; Phoenix, AZ; Washington, D.C. $7,303,634 People with disabilities, chronically unemployed individuals, ex-offenders, older workers, homeless individuals, and high school dropouts Jobs for the Future Inc. (JFF) Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Milwaukee, WI; Philadelphia, PA $7,997,936 Unemployed and disadvantaged individuals MDC Inc. Charlotte, NC; North Charleston, SC; Orangeburg, Calhoun, and Bamberg Counties, SC; Wise and Dickenson Counties, VA; Scott County, VA $3,780,816 Low-wage workers and unemployed individuals National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) Apache Junction, AZ; Bisbee, AZ; Midland, TX; Odessa, TX; Dayton, OH $7,994,999 Limited English proficiency individuals, Native Americans, and ex-offenders National Council of La Raza San Jose, CA; San Diego, CA; Chicago, IL $3,063,839 Low-income and unemployed individuals and individuals with limited English proficiency Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America Inc. Asheville, NC; Broward County, FL; Phoenix, AZ $4,900,000 Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, and individuals with criminal records PathStone Corp. Rochester, NY; Scranton, PA; Juana Diaz, Santa Isabel, and Villalba, PR; and Arroyo, Coamo, Guayama, and Salinas, PR $8,000,000 Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, and individuals with criminal records
There are thirty local grantees:
Organization Locations Award Amount Participants Served Alternative Opportunities Inc. St. Louis, MO $2,308,200 High school dropouts, unemployed individuals, ex-offenders, and veterans Better Family Life Inc. (BFL) St. Louis, MO $3,305,493 Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, and individuals with criminal records Boley Centers Inc. St. Petersburg, FL $2,300,678 Disadvantaged and unemployed urban youth Citrus Levy Marion Regional Workforce Development Board Inc. Ocala, FL $2,985,175 Unemployed workers, low-income adults, high school dropouts, and individuals with a criminal history City of Minneapolis Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN $4,000,000 Individuals living in poverty, veterans, and unemployed young adults who do not have high school diplomas CNY Works Inc. Syracuse, NY $3,715,931 Low income individuals, ex-offenders, disadvantaged young adults, and displaced workers Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA $3,184,428 Unemployed workers, ex-offenders, and veterans Consortium for Worker Education Bronx, NY $4,000,000 Individuals with limited English proficiency, veterans and eligible spouses, persons with criminal records, and Disconnected Youth and women Eastern Maine Development Corp. Piscataquis County and Penobscot County, ME $2,109,088 Disadvantaged adult job seekers, dislocated workers, returning offenders, public assistance recipients, high school dropouts, and veterans Florida State College at Jacksonville Duval County, FL $2,229,642 Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, and individuals with criminal records Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI $4,000,000 Unemployed workers, high school dropouts, and individuals with criminal records It's My Community Initiative Oklahoma City, OK $4,000,000 Underemployed individuals and ex-offenders Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board, Inc. Allentown, PA $4,000,000 At-risk youth, veterans and eligible spouses, and underemployed and unemployed individuals Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Los Angeles, CA, communities of Watts $4,000,000 Dislocated, unemployed, underemployed, low-income workers and veterans Mi Casa Resource Center Denver, CO $3,633,195 Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, individuals with a criminal record, women, and minorities Mott Community College(MCC) Flint, MI and adjoining suburbs $3,662,403 Low-income individuals Mountrie Technical College Tift County, GA $3,753,579 Individuals on probation, high school dropouts, residents with disadvantaged backgrounds, and displaced workers Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium (NoRTEC) Butte, CA; Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, and Siskiyou, CA; Shasta County, CA; Tehama and Trinity, CA $4,000,000 High school dropouts, at-risk youth, welfare recipients, individuals with criminal records, unemployed and dislocated workers, and veterans Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette Inc. Fayette County, PA $2,732,719 Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, and individuals with criminal records Providence Economic Development Partnership Providence, RI $2,489,111 Ex-offenders and low-literacy individuals Roca Inc. Chelsea and Revere, MA $2,398,778 High-risk youth SER - Jobs for Progress of the Texas Gulf Coast Inc. Houston, TX $3,122,554 High school dropouts, ex-offenders, unemployed individuals, and disadvantaged individuals Southeast Community College Area Lincoln, NE $2,331,278 Unemployed individuals, veterans, high school dropouts, individuals with criminal records, refugees, and immigrants Southwest Housing Solutions Corp. (SWHS) Southwest Detroit, MI $4,000,000 Unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, individuals with a criminal record, and veterans West Hills Community College District Mendota, Firebaugh, San Joaquin, Huron, Coalinga, Lemoore, Avenal, and the unincorporated communities of Tranquility, Riverdale, Biola, and Five Points in Fresno and Kings Counties, CA $3,000,000 Disadvantaged individuals Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) Woodbury County, IA $3,999,459 Dislocated workers, low-income adults, and disconnected youth White Earth Band of Chippewa Mahnomen, Clearwater, and Becker counties, MN $3,086,817 High school dropouts, unemployed individuals, and individuals with criminal records Workforce Development of Seattle-King County Southeast Seattle, WA $3,639,530 High school dropouts, unemployed adults, veterans, previously incarcerated youth and adults, and other disadvantaged individuals - with a specific focus on communities of color, individuals with limited English proficiency, and individuals with disabilities The WorkPlace Inc. City of Bridgeport, CT $4,000,000 High school dropouts, individuals with criminal records, unemployed individuals, and people facing other significant disadvantages Worksystems Inc. East Multnomah County, OR $4,000,000 Native Americans, African-Americans, Latinos, immigrants, veterans, individuals with criminal records, and homeless individuals
Locations Pathways out of Poverty (POP) grantees are located in 26 states and the District of Columbia. They are primarily located in major metropolitan areas, but some grantees are located in more rural and smaller metropolitan regions.
The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration particularly encouraged applicants to focus on serving Public Micro Data Areas (PUMAs) with poverty rates of 15 percent or higher. Data from the 2009 American Community Survey 1-Year estimates indicates that the PUMAs covered by grantees had an average percentage of inhabitants in poverty that was ten percentage points higher than the national average, at least within the last twelve months.
In addition, on average, PUMAs covered by grantees have inhabitants with lower levels of education, lower levels of health insurance coverage, and lower levels of English fluency. One barrier to economic development in impoverished areas is lack of skills and education possessed by the inhabitants, which is one rationale for workforce development programs.
Training Pathways out of Poverty (POP) grantees proposed providing a variety of services, including sector-based training for green jobs, remedial education and GED help, "soft skills" training, entrepreneurial training, and supportive services. The primary focus of this program is sector-based: grantees are working backwards from specific job categories to design training and place individuals. However, unlike some sector-based programs, POP grantees are enrolling high school dropouts, ex-offenders, and other "harder-to-employ" individuals, as opposed to recruiting more employable individuals. These individuals may require remedial education and GED instruction, which some POP grantees report providing.
Green Jobs Training POP grantees are required to train participants for “employment within energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.” Grantees reported training individuals for jobs in the following areas: advanced battery manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, and landscaping, bio-fuel manufacturing and distribution, biofuels, building performance, deconstruction and materials use, energy efficient assessment, energy-efficient building maintenance, energy-efficient building, construction, and retrofit, environmental protection, environmental remediation, recycling, renewable energy and electric power, solar energy, sustainable manufacturing, transportation, waste collection and remediation, water management, and wind energy.