INDIANAPOLIS — The first set of data and analysis from the City’s pilot workforce development program, Pathway to Employment, has been released. Launched on Monday, May 20, through the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS), the program connects those who are experiencing homelessness, including those who panhandle, with paying jobs and work skills that could help lead to permanent employment.
Now in its second month, Pathway to Employment has connected 21 participants to daily jobs, through partner organization, Keys to Work, for a total of 1,974 work hours. Participants make $10 an hour and work full 8-hour days consisting of litter cleanup and other beautification efforts, under DPW supervision, at various sites throughout the city. At least two days a week, participants perform beautification work in downtown Indianapolis.
Participants for the program are identified through the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) homeless unit and other outreach organizations in downtown Indianapolis. Keys to Work then ensures that each individual has all the necessary documentation needed before being assigned to work for the day. Program participants check in at the Keys to Work office, and then receive transportation to and from the worksite each day.
Pathway to Employment has averaged 10 to 14 workers a day, many of whom are frequent participants, logging hours in each of the five first weeks of the program. Keys to Work currently has a waiting list consisting of 23 people who want to take part in the program.
Though the men and women currently working with Pathway to Employment can participate indefinitely, both the City and Keys to Work are committed to helping individuals make connections to more permanent employment once they’ve completed several weeks of work and demonstrated they are ready to move on to other options. The City and its partners also provide supportive services, including transportation assistance and boxed lunches for each worker, as well as high-visibility vests and other necessary supplies.
The pilot for the Pathway to Employment program is 20 weeks, and is scheduled to continue through the end of September.