St. Joseph the Worker Launches New Workforce Housing and Training Program

Phoenix-based nonprofit St. Joseph the Worker has launched a new free program called the Workforce Housing and Training Program (WHAT). Supported by Arizona Housing Coalition’s Capacity Building for Nonprofit Organizations – Innovations for Impact Grant, SJW aims to empower individuals to start new careers by providing job training and secure housing.

The 120-day program begins with two weeks of hands-on classroom training, after which graduates can start working and receive their first paycheck within the first month. For the next 90 days, participants follow SJW’s Workforce Villages transitional housing model, which provides free housing along with classes on personal finance and how to budget for food, teaching participants how to keep their cost per meal under $5. This enables participants to save 70-80 percent of their net income in their own personal bank accounts, allowing them to save enough money to secure their own apartment once the program ends.

Following the classroom portion of WHAT, individuals can secure employment starting at $18 per hour and move to $20 per hour after 90 days with one of SJW’s Preferred Business Partners or other local companies. Over the next six to nine months, wages can increase to $23 per hour. Upon successful completion of the four-month program, graduates will not only have enough money saved to cover the first month’s rent and security deposit for their own apartment but also provide themselves with a savings cushion.

“At SJW, our mission is to provide individuals with the tools they need to free themselves from government assistance and achieve self-sufficiency,” said Carrie Masters, CEO at St. Joseph the Worker. “With our new Workforce Housing and Training Program, we are offering a comprehensive solution in one unique program. It provides a career pathway with real earnings growth, a pathway to long-term housing and fills roles our local partners have available to grow their businesses.”

SJW’s Workforce Training Program is currently accepting applications for its upcoming session starting on May 7, 2024. The program is open to individuals aged 18 and older from varied backgrounds.

For more behind this Frontdoors, visit sjwjobs.org/workforce-villages.