Flint, Michigan. April 10, 2017 – Faith Foundation Resources is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Ruth Mott Foundation for Flint’s North Side. These funds will support the (HYPE Job Program).
The HYPE program provides professional career and educational training skills to youth and young adults ages 16-21, empowering them with tools to become productive, responsible, self-determined members of society. The purpose of the HYPE program is to assure the success of young people on the north side of Flint by the way of employment training and financial skills as they prepare for life. What makes our program different from other job training programs are our financial and credit components, class sizes, job placement and one year tracking of all graduates.
The HYPE program was developed in response to a gap in training that young people receive before entering the workforce. Therefore, many young people are underprepared for the workforce, and lacking the essential soft skills that employers seek. The program teaches interviewing skills and professional communication skills. Many of our students will be “first generation” banking and saving. Topics including, how to build and maintain credit; what is a FICO score; balancing a checkbook; using a savings and checking account; investing; and home ownership. The HYPE program originated in the Chicago area where it is very successful, with 95% of students who complete the program employed within 6 months.
The executive director Angela Lots and family moved to the Flint area last year, where HYPE (a new program to the area) first class was offered. Today 97% of Flint’s 2016 graduate students are placed and gainfully employed. We match our graduates with our employer partners. The program also helps those employers who are seeking well-prepared employees. The HYPE program place graduates with year around full and part-time jobs.
This organizational ideal is unique and innovative because young people are prepared many of them for their “First Employment Experience” and trained to be prepared for the other “Big Firsts” in their lives.” (Angela Lots) The grant from the Ruth Mott Foundation will allow FFR to expand the program to service more youth on Flint’s North Side. HYPE next class begins April 18, 2017 at Northwestern High School G-2138 W. Carpenter Road Flint MI.
Faith Foundation Resources
The values of Faith Foundation Resources were built on teaching individuals and communities to fish for themselves: “Give me a fish I eat for a day, teach me to fish I eat forever.”
