Workforce  Development

The WTP program seeks to use the labor of working in a wash, dry, fold service to teach an array of soft and professional skills to individuals with barriers. The WTP endeavors to provide a nurturing environment in which program participants work to develop highly transferable skills throughout a 4-6 week paid work experience. Examples of these skills include: task prioritization, customer service, professional communication, adherence to production deadlines, working successfully in groups and use of point-of-sale systems. Participants in the WTP often focus on the basics of “learning how to work,” with the goal of creating a strong foundation of highly transferable skills that will extend well beyond the laundry space. Participants in the program are closely supported by the Workforce Readiness Coordinator (WRC), a unique hybrid role that combines elements of a supervisor, workforce counselor, while also offering support for participants’ mental health/behavioral challenges.. The WRC works as the on-site training facilitator overseeing the daily operations of the WTP and is tasked with bringing out the “teachable moments” embedded in the laundry work and emphasizing the skill connections with participants' long-term career aspirations.  Toward the end of the training, participants have the option to explore a number of future job or training paths as they connect with a career counselor from VT Department of Labor or Working Fields. The discussions are participant-driven, conforming to their interests and can result in a number of future pursuits including: direct employment, a new work experience, or referral to one of Vermont's pre-apprentice programs