Wednesday Wisdom: PA CareerLink®'s REAL Reentry Program

Join us for our next Wednesday Wisdom where we will learn about how PA CareerLink® in Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties has launched a new initiative to help justice-involved young adults, ages 18-24, overcome barriers to employment and avoid recidivism. REAL – which stands for Reconnect, Engage, Advocate and Lead – is a transition and reentry program that offers a combination of educational opportunities and occupational skills training to participants. Underwritten by the PA Department of Labor and Industry, the REAL program is funded through a grant received by the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Development Board, Inc.

 

REAL empowers justice-involved young adults by reconnecting them with their community, engaging them in workforce development, advocating for their success, and encouraging them to lead their own path forward. To do this, participants in this program receive individualized services designed to offer support and enhance self-sufficiency as they transition into the community and workforce.

 

PA CareerLink® and the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Development Board, Inc. has recruited a team of trained professionals including a Licensed Family Advocate, Business Services Manager, and two Outreach Coordinators/Career Navigators to lead this initiative. As an integrated team, REAL works together to address the various barriers to employment. The program provides training, education, work experience, counseling, peer support, case management, ongoing mentoring, and twelve months of follow up after program exit.