Cambridge Housing Authority Work Force

For years, I've walked by this building that says "Work Force" on it, without knowing exactly what it was. I thought it offered employement resources, but beyond that I had no idea.

It turns out to be a program run by the Cambridge Housing Authority, and it is not for adults, as I assumed. It's for kids grades 8 through 12 who live in public housing. It helps them get through high school, get work experience, and enroll in some form of postsecondary education. They also help them save for college by offering matching funds up to $1500, much like a corporate 401K incentive.

The first class to go through four years of the program graduated in 2016. 65% of them have now graduated from college or a postsecondary vocational program. Nationally, only 37% of low-income students whose parent did not attend college (which is what most of these students are) do not complete a postsecondary education.

That's a lot more powerful than a place that just provides job listings on computers, which of course, is cool, too.

Links:

url: http://chaworkforce.org/ name: Work Force home page

url: https://www.cambridgeday.com/2020/06/29/housing-authority-made-own-system-for-teens-and-four-years-after-high-school-show-it-works/ name: Housing Authority made own system for teens, and four years after high school show it works

#cambridge #education