County Workforce Development Boards Receive Grant to Better Serve LGBTQIA+ Job Seekers
The Montgomery County Workforce Development Board
(MontcoWorks), in partnership with the Delaware County Workforce Development
Board, announced they have received an LGBTQIA+ Support Grant from the
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Bureau of Workforce
Development Partnerships. This will allow them to create a more inclusive
environment for LGBTQIA+ career seekers within the two-county area.
“We are extremely proud to collaborate with our partners in
Delaware County as well as our provider EDSI to do our part in ensuring an
equitable workplace for all. We are grateful to PA Labor and Industry for
recognizing this need and supporting this pilot,” said Jennifer Butler,
Executive Director of MontcoWorks.
The grant will fund a needs assessment and asset mapping of
LGBTQIA+ resources in Delaware and Montgomery counties. Work on the needs
assessment has started and will be complete by June 30, 2023. In addition,
grant funds will be used to develop a career seeker curriculum with input from
legal experts as well as a series of employer webinars. Grant activities will
be facilitated by Educational Data Systems, Inc, service provider for both
workforce development boards under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(WIOA).
“As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I am
committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all facets of life,” said Roe
Falcone, EDSI’s Director of Strategic Partnerships. “In light of continuing
hate crimes against gay and trans individuals throughout the nation, EDSI and
the workforce development boards of Montgomery and Delaware counties are
striving to eliminate discrimination in the hiring, promotion, and treatment of
LGBTQ individuals in the workplace. This grant will provide additional support
and resources for those who identify as LGBTQ and promote inclusivity in the
workplace.”
This grant will augment the services of PA CareerLink®
Montgomery County and PA CareerLink® Delaware County. Both one-stop career
centers provide a range of services to employers and career seekers. An
LGBTQIA+ Career Navigator will help career seekers connect to one-stop services
and additional resources in those counties.
