Since its founding, Jericho Project has held an institutional belief that helping its residents to lift themselves out of poverty through increased education and skills training and the acquisition and retention of sustainable employment is core to fulfilling its mission. The Workforce Opportunities (WfO) program, one of the strongest pillars of Jericho’s support services, provides career and educational services to residents on-site at each of Jericho’s six congregate supportive housing residences and at its Supportive Apartment program office. On average, 85% of its residents participate in the program. Jericho has set an ambitious goal of engaging 90% of its residents, including its new veteran and family tenants, in its Workforce Opportunities program in 2011.

Core Services

Upon entering Jericho Project residents immediately meet with their Career Counselor where, often for their first time in their adult lives, they are asked the simple question, “What would you like to do for a living?”

Career Counselors then provide the personalized counseling and support services needed for residents to move beyond the barriers their homelessness, addiction or involvement in the criminal justice system may have created and begin establishing their personal educational and employment goals.

Once goals are set, Career Counselors assist residents with the identification of accredited skills training and educational programs, resume writing, on-line and traditional job searching, and employment application and interviewing techniques – including mock interviews. Jericho’s full-time Employment Specialist establishes linkages with potential employers to identify jobs with a living wage and benefits for residents.

WfO departmental workshops and seminars provide residents with expanded support while the agency offers internal and external work-training internships designed to help residents gain real-world work experience.

Once a resident successfully acquires employment, the WfO team helps them — through one-on-one counseling and agency-wide workshops — with any job retention issues that might arise such as conflict resolution, stress management, appropriate workplace behavior, and career advancement.