Workforce System Success Stories - Workforce Development and Adult Learning

SPECIAL GRANTS | Meet Ron
WIOA Discretionary Grant helps Ron and his wife finally get ahead.

Ron and his wife had always worked, but the low-skilled, minimum wage jobs they held kept them trapped in poverty. Things were finally starting to look up when Ron enrolled in a Registered Apprenticeship with Chaney Enterprises, a large east coast concrete supplier headquartered in Gambrills, Maryland. He was glad to have landed a good job on a career path, but he and his spouse were still struggling to make ends meet. Their paycheck-to-paycheck existence had never allowed them to save enough for the upfront costs required to rent an apartment, such as the security deposit, advanced monthly rent and utility deposits. They used their meager resources to secure extended stay motel rooms, and when they lacked even enough to pay for this shelter, they lived in their car – until Ron’s new employer found out about the situation.

As it happened, Chaney Enterprises had an unusual resource to help Ron. The company had recently been awarded a grant through the Jobs that Build (JTB) Employer Fund. MD Labor designed the JTB program, which utilized federal resources allocated to Maryland under the American Rescue Plan Act to support businesses in implementing creative solutions to address barriers significantly hindering workforce participation and retention. The fund prioritized employee support programs and payroll incentives as keys to increasing competitiveness to attract and retain the most qualified workers.

Ron’s new employer used money from their JTB grant award to immediately move Ron and his wife into an apartment. Not only was the pressing issue of housing immediately addressed but Ron was now able to put all his energy into focusing on his apprenticeship.

When management at Chaney Enterprises was asked why they elected to use the funding to address Ron’s housing challenges, they responded: "This funding provided a unique opportunity for us to look beyond the traditional role of an employer. Not only were we able to use the JTB grant to help retain apprentices by supplying completion bonuses, but it gave us a once in a lifetime opportunity to supply one of our apprentices with a career pathway and the stable housing situation he would need to be successful in it. At the same time, we are gaining a much-needed driver!”