North Carolina Receives $4 Million Federal Workforce Reentry Grant

Today Governor Josh Stein announced that North Carolina has received a $4 million federal grant to help incarcerated people gain job skills as they prepare to reenter society.

The new funding comes from the sixth round of the U.S. Department of Labor’s “Pathway Home” grant program. Through this program, eligible incarcerated individuals can receive workforce services through the NCWorks system, both prior to and after their release, easing their transition into reentry programs in the communities to which they will return.

“When we prepare people leaving incarceration for success in the workforce, we all benefit,” said Governor Josh Stein. “With support from this new grant, North Carolina can continue to build a strong workforce, improve reentry outcomes, and provide people with real opportunities for a second chance.”

“People leaving incarceration too often struggle to find employment, and this is a major barrier to their successful re-entry," said First Lady Anna Stein. “The ‘Pathway Home’ grant will help bolster employment programs to work with people both before and after they are released from prison. Supporting rehabilitation and reentry programs is a priority of mine, and this grant will improve our state's rehabilitation outcomes."

As the lead grant recipient, the Division of Workforce Solutions (DWS) at the North Carolina Department of Commerce will direct the “North Carolina Pathway to Reentry” project while partnering with three local Workforce Development Boards (WDBs): Charlotte Works; Foothills WDB; and Western Piedmont WDB. The N.C. Department of Adult Correction is also collaborating with the partners to support the project.

The grant is intended to provide pre-release, post-release, and follow-up activities for people transitioning out of incarceration. Pre-release activities will be delivered through workshops, small-group and one-on-one instruction, career counseling, advisement in employment, and training activities. This project will also provide services to help participants reacclimate to their community, starting within the first 72 hours of their release from incarceration. Post-release activities will help participants to set goals, develop action plans, identify education and training needs, and learn new skills to work toward readiness for specific jobs. The NCWorks system will connect the individuals with apprenticeships and other types of work-based learning in collaboration with “second-chance” employers. Wraparound support services will continue to follow the participant through the entire 24-month training period. Follow-up services will include monthly meetings with participants to determine their continuing needs for training, employment, and supportive services.

The workforce system partners plan to serve individuals incarcerated at the following facilities:

• Alexander Correctional Institution
• Caldwell Correctional Center
• Catawba Correctional Center
• Foothills Correctional Institution
• Gaston Correctional Center
• Marion Correctional Institution
• Mecklenburg County Detention Center
• Rutherford Correctional Center

“Our fast-growing economy needs skilled workers, and this grant helps us fill that need by providing reentry services to jobseekers who are ready to take the next step in their lives,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “This project will also help us in our efforts to meet several goals recently set out by the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships, which include increasing participation in work-based learning.” 

The DWS has made reentry a high priority for many years and is a partner in the state’s Joint Reentry Council, helping to carry out the Reentry 2030 strategic plan. The division’s Reentry Initiative works with and through NCWorks Career Centers across the state to help justice-involved jobseekers overcome barriers to employment. In addition, the DWS collaborates with three local workforce boards to implement the federal Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development (PROWD) grant, helping people who are transitioning out of the federal prison in Butner. The division is also partnering with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction on a pilot program that enables eligible people to start their job search and create resumes before they complete their sentences, preparing them to transition to the statewide NCWorks online system after their release. 

Meanwhile, the DWS helps administer two federal programs for employers – Federal Bonding and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) – both of which serve as incentives for companies to hire people with significant barriers to employment. 

For more information about jobseeker and employer services, contact a local NCWorks Career Center through NCWorks.gov.