LANSING & FLINT, MI – Peckham has been awarded a $2 million grant from the United States Department of Labor. The grant will be awarded over the next 42 months to launch the Growth Opportunities (GO) Program. The GO Program will prepare corrections-involved youth and young adults for employment while also mitigating violence in the high-poverty, high-crime communities of Lansing and Flint, MI.
The program is designed to help participants identify career interests and match them with educational opportunities, training, credential attainment, and paid work experiences. The program will also deliver a leadership development curriculum that pairs participants with mentors for the purpose of gaining skills to set participants on a path to obtaining living-wage jobs.
“Rehabilitative programs for young people tend to stop at age 18,” said James Caleb Adams, Chief of Human Services. “The GO Program aims to fill that gap. We are targeting youth and young adults who have been at the center of gun violence or who have experienced significant trauma.”
“The program will focus on helping individuals discover themselves, what they want to do in life, and develop healthy personal and professional relationships,” Adams said. “The program aims to give youth hope by helping them develop skills and assets to improve their futures and ultimately, live the life they want to live.”
Lansing partners include Michigan Department of Corrections Region 7, Lansing Police Department, Ingham County Sheriff’s Office, Ingham County 30th District Court, Family Division, and The Turning Point of Lansing.
Flint partners include Michigan Department of Corrections Region 6, Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, Genesee County 7th District Court, Juvenile Division and Without Walls Outreach.
Peckham is a nonprofit vocational rehabilitation organization that provides paid job training opportunities for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. For 46 years, Peckham has provided jobs and job skills training to thousands of individuals with barriers through five different business lines throughout Michigan, with additional operations in Phoenix, Arizona and London, Kentucky.
Peckham, Inc., has been named a Great Place to Work for nine consecutive years. This national award-winning organization is recognized for its achievement in providing exceptional vocational rehabilitation, creating inclusive cultures, and building quality workplaces for employees.
