Job Skills for New Careers

While our community is on the path to recovery, Job Skills for New Careers empowers people to dream bigger.

Launched in early 2020, Job Skills for New Careers is a collaborative initiative focused on helping adults gain the skills they need to qualify for better paying, in-demand careers. Trainees come from all areas of Eastern Jackson County looking for resources to help them build financial stability for themselves and their families. By providing comprehensive wrap-around services in addition to high-quality training, people learn how to build a successful work-life and navigate beyond barriers that prevent them from reaching their long-term goals. 

Many local workers struggled to meet their basic needs during the pandemic. But Job Skills for New Careers offered them the opportunity for financial recovery and to emerge from this crisis in a better position. Thanks to an initial grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, support from 45 dedicated THCF fundholders, and a new strategic partnership with KC Scholars, Job Skills for New Careers continues to improve upon past success.

In 2021 the program added three high-demand training courses, Medical Coding & Billing, Phlebotomy, and Construction/Materials Handling, and nearly tripled the number of graduates, with 150 estimated by year-end.

How the Program Works

Hear from Program Graduates

Ready To Support Job Skills for New Careers?

Your gift is unique among our partners because it allows for flexibility. Where their funds can only be used for tuition reimbursements, your gift can offer other life-changing supports, such as utility or rent assistance, transportation vouchers, financial coaching, and more. Your gift will immediately help hardworking adults in our community get on a path to financial stability with a better career.

DONATE NOW

Resources for Donor Advised Fundholders

Request a Grant through the Donor Portal       Download a Grant Recommendation Form

To discuss other giving options, contact Phil Hanson via email or by calling 816-836-8189.

 

Our Partners and Their Expertise

The result of conversations with our caring fundholders and months of research, Job Skills for New Careers is a collaboration with four key organizations: Community Services League, Mid-Continent Public Library, KC Scholars, and University of Central Missouri. This initiative uses each organization’s unique assets to offer trainings in fields that pay living wages and continue to be in high demand in the region.

Training and Certification Program

The following Job Skills for New Careers training programs are offered through our partner organizations. Additional trainings may be added, as further funding is secured. 

• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
• Construction Trades
• Medical Coding and Billing
• Phlebotomy 
• Sustainable Materials Handling 
• Welding