On September 17, Hopeworks officially launched its skilled trades initiative at our Camden campus. Mayor Victor Carstarphen, Camden County Commissioners, employers and the young adults at the heart of this work joined us.

The idea is simple. Across our region, employers in construction, manufacturing, infrastructure, water utilities and healthcare can't find the workers they need. Those workers are already here. What has been missing is the pathway.

The initiative brings the Hopeworks model into careers where demand is strong, wages are competitive and the work is less exposed to automation. Young adults get the same coaching and support that define Hopeworks, as well as the same digital fluency Hopeworks has always built — and that employers in every industry need. They also get dedicated coaches who go with them into union halls, training sites and employer facilities. We help cover the things that often get in the way: transportation, stipends, tools, certifications and licensing.

Two $1 million gifts, from the Justamere Foundation and the Switchpoint Foundation, make this work possible. Our trades team is now fully in place, and our first pathways are already underway.

Listen to one of our first success stories, Isabella Cartegena, tell her experience, below!