St. Bernards Healthcare is entering into a new partnership with Arkansas State University-Newport (ASU-Newport), providing employment opportunities for those out of work or struggling with poverty.
Part of the Arkansas Delta Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities (ADWORC) program, this partnership is geared toward boosting the labor participation in the manufacturing, hospitality and allied health sectors. Through this program, individuals will participate in a five-week training course through ASU-Newport, which will culminate in employment at St. Bernards in either the nutritional services or environmental services divisions.
Individuals will receive a $100 per week incentive for participating in the free program.
“St. Bernards believes in breaking poverty cycles that have plagued our region for far too long,” St. Bernards vice president of human resources Lori Smith said in a statement. “As the largest employer in our region, we’re always looking to provide gainful opportunities where they may not have existed. The ADWORC program aligns with our mission of providing Christ-like healing to the community through education, treatment and health services, and it’s exciting to see what will come from this partnership with ASU-Newport.”
To participate in the ADWORC program, individuals must be recently released from jail or prison in the past 24 months, have an annual household income of less than $86,475 or be unemployed due to layoffs.
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