August 10, 2009

Benton Harbor, Michigan needs education and job placement programs for its many residents who lack adequate skills; fewer than five percent of residents have a bachelor's degree and unemployment stands at over 16 percent. Since July 2007, Heartland Alliance's Opportunity Center in Benton Harbor, in partnership with Michigan Works!, has served over 900 residents and over 600 have completed vocational or training programs.

The program builds off Heartland Alliance's strong record in employment services. Heartland Alliance maintains highly effective job readiness programs in the Chicago area, resulting in hundreds of successful job placements each year for people who have faced obstacles finding steady work. It is this expertise that Heartland Alliance has brought to Benton Harbor.

'They Gave Me a Chance'

For Tena Hackey, The Opportunity Center provided the training and educational know-how that she needed to be successful.

"The Opportunity Center actually helped me get a job," Hackey says of her experience. "Other programs will promise you a lot of things, but these folks came through. They gave me a chance."

"Our staff goes above and beyond to assist Benton Harbor residents with their education and career goals," says Barbara Bell, associate director of business operations at The Opportunity Center. "Heartland Alliance professionals are committed to providing a well organized and compassionate learning environment for each student."

Setting a New Standard in Workforce Development

Heartland Alliance actively recruits local employers, encouraging them to provide internships and steady work to The Opportunity Center graduates. The high school equivalency exam preparation and culinary training programs, two staples in The Opportunity Center's programs, mirror programs that have been successful in Chicago.

"We work with adults, we respect them, and we're not trying to change them," says Nicole Slater, vocational literacy instructor. "It's an approach that matters deeply to participants, many of whom may have previously been dismissed or judged for their backgrounds. The impact? Participants gain not only hard skills and tools, but also the less tangible benefits, like encouragement and compassion."

Tena Hackey was among the first graduates of The Opportunity Center's culinary arts program last August. Within two weeks she was working at Tims Too restaurant in St. Joseph, Michigan. Tims Too kitchen manager Thomas Watson says Ms. Hackey "set a standard that would be hard to beat. She's one of the top candidates I've ever had. I'd definitely hire more people from The Opportunity Center." 

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