The Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative supplements existing workforce and education programs by providing services to ensure the success of individuals with barriers to employment. Programs supported by the initiative are awarded through grants funded by Assembly Bill 628, the Removing Barriers to Employment Act, and administered by the Foundation on behalf of the California Workforce Development Board. These programs help individuals gain the skills and resources needed to successfully enter the workforce, retain employment, and earn wages that lead to self-sufficiency, and eventually, economic security.  

Through collaborative partnerships between community-based organizations and local workforce boards, services are delivered to historically underrepresented and economically overlooked populations such as veterans, refugees, formerly-incarcerated individuals, women of color, immigrants, and more. The initiative to create these pipelines to meaningful employment and quality jobs ensures support for the economic success and increased social mobility of these populations while also addressing regional workforce needs and the social and economic inequality impacting California communities.

The Foundation for California Community Colleges in partnership with the California Workforce Development Board and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency are pleased to announce that the following projects have been awarded for the AB 628: Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative Grant Program. Learn more about the grantees here.