Its programs help individuals learn marketable skills geared toward high-paying, long-term careers in shipbuilding/ship repair, healthcare, and cybersecurity, all of which are in dire need of skilled workers. Support from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust will expand two of the Alliance’s most innovative programs, NextGen and Women in Skilled Careers (WISC), which provide comprehensive employment support to local youth and women, respectively.
Grant funding provides critical layers of support, including the provision of wraparound services and achievement-based incentives, to NextGen and WISC participants. These services help participants meet such basic needs as transportation or childcare so that they can fully engage in and benefit from these programs. Kenan support has also helped the Council attract new funding, including a $714,619 grant from the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau to support WISC as part of the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) program.
