Support Services | Workforce Development

Workforce Development

We believe that gainful employment offers our customers the opportunity to achieve meaning and identity in their lives, to establish their place as a contributing member of the community and the opportunity to achieve independence. Workforce Development serves two customer bases: Job Seekers and Employers. We cannot successfully serve one group without successfully serving the other.
 
Job Seekers with disabilities, disadvantages or other barriers to employment are provided specialized training and evaluation, job placement, and ongoing supports to maximize retention. 

Our Exodus Program assists individuals whose offending histories are barriers to successful employment. The Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative Program (MPRI) assists individuals coming out of prison with job training and placement to become contributing members of our community. 

Employers receive individualized services from Workforce Development staff who help them fill available positions with individuals that match the employers’ needs. This unique partnership saves companies valuable resources normally spent in recruiting, hiring and training. 

Our range of services can be tailored to meet the needs of each customer we serve-job seekers and employers and thereby better serve them all.

Hope Network also operates two businesses.  Hope Network Service Corporation provides training and employment opportunities in the janitorial field for individuals with disabilities. Hope Network Industries, (HNI) provides training and employment for people with disabilities or disadvantages in the manufacturing and assembly industry.

   


Free Tax Preparation Services Available at Hope Network Education Center
1/26/2012
Hope Network Workforce Development has partnered with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) through Davenport University, to be a host site for free tax preparation services. This service is available to all Hope Network staff, consumers and the public.

Income tax assistance is available on Fridays, beginning February 3rd, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Education Center in Grand Rapids.
 
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The Book of Cake Debut
12/22/2011

Hope Network hosted a special book signing of the new book, 'The Book of Cake' a collection of Cake stories from the past year which feature Hope Network consumers, employees and volunteers. 

Award winning writer Tom Rademacher, who writes the stories for Hope Network,  addressed the crowd of employees, Board Members and many of the people featured in the stories. 

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United Way Small Business Challenge
12/20/2011
Heart of West Michigan United Way invites you to take on the Small Business Challenge, created through a generous matching grant of $100,000 from the Steelcase Foundation. Any new United Way gift of $1,000 or more from a workplace of 100 or less employees will be matched up to a total of $100,000 by the end of March 2012.
 
Small businesses are the heart of most communities, yet during the 2010 United Way Campaign small businesses of 100 employees or less made up only 11.5% of total campaign dollars. This campaign year, United Way is hoping to change that with the Small Business Challenge.