WINLA Aiming to Aid the Under and Unemployed with Grant Opps

Local Initiative Accepting Grant Applications to Create Workforce Development Partnerships

"WINLA Aiming to Aid Under- and Unemployed Individuals and Jobseekers in Northwest Louisiana”

Shreveport, LA (February 8, 2012) – The Community Foundation of North Louisiana is accepting grant proposals for the Workforce Innovations of Northwest Louisiana (WINLA) Funder Collaborative.  WINLA is a regional funding collaborative of philanthropic, public sector, private sector and community leaders working together to create career pathways for under- and unemployed individuals and jobseekers and promote economic vitality in Northwest Louisiana. 

In 2011, The Workforce Innovations in Northwest Louisiana was selected to receive a $300,000 grant from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions. WINLA was one of only five sites nationwide to receive the grant.

The WINLA Funder Collaborative is seeking a workforce partnership in each sector (health care and energy) that will work to accomplish the following:

·        Involve employers as active partners and leaders in the planning and implementation of the workforce partnership.

·        Expand awareness of the broad array of career opportunities in the health care and energy fields.

·        Offer high-quality, "real-world” curricula and internships.

·        Strengthen alignment between adult basic education and post-secondary programs.

·        Offer multiple pathways and/or career ladders that enable individuals to move up the wage scale.

·        Reduce barriers that limit access to career preparation.

·        Promote development of better workforce policies and practices.

·        Implement efforts to achieve and sustain workforce system change and innovation.

 Starting now through March 2^nd, for-profit healthcare and energy providers, education institutions, nonprofits, and 501(c)(3) organizations with the ability to lead a workforce partnership may apply for this grant.  Those interested in applying may visit The Foundation’s website at http://www.nlacf.org/?Special_initiatives for more information and to begin the application process. 

 Interested organizations must fill out online application by March 2, 2012 by 4:00pm in order to be considered in the 2012 process.  For technical assistance, applicants may contact Patti Trudell, CERT Executive Director, at ptrudell@certla.org.  Award recipients will be announced on March 19, 2012.  

 About The Workforce Innovations for Northwest Louisiana

Workforce Innovations in Northwest Louisiana (WINLA) is a regional funding collaborative of philanthropic, public sector, private sector and community leaders working together to create career pathways for under- and unemployed individuals and jobseekers and promote economic vitality in northwest Louisiana.  WINLA’s vision is to create employer-led workforce partnerships that align, link and leverage regional assets to improve skills and economic outcomes for low-income workers and jobseekers.  The WINLA workforce partnerships will engage employers and education/training partners to serve under-credentialed individuals in the parishes of Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, DeSoto, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine and Webster.  The Workforce Innovations for Northwest Louisiana Funder Collaborative is a partnership funded by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, the Social Innovation Fund, and the following regional contributors: Caddo Parish Commission, Capital One Bank, City of Shreveport, Community Foundation of North Louisiana, Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, Foundation for Louisiana, JPMorgan Chase, and United Way of Northwest Louisiana. The Consortium for Education, Research, and Technology of North Louisiana (CERT) serves as the Coordinator of the Workforce Partnerships.

 About the Community Foundation of North Louisiana

Established in 1961, the Community Foundation of North Louisiana’s mission is to strengthen communities through philanthropy.  By bringing together fund donors, their financial advisors and nonprofit agencies, the Foundation is a powerful catalyst for building charitable giving and effecting positive change in our area.  Through the generosity and vision of our family of donors, both past and present, the Foundation has granted nearly $40,000,000 to vital nonprofit organizations since our inception.  In our shared endeavor to build a more robust, vibrant community, we fund a variety of critical initiatives, including education, health, arts and culture, and poverty alleviation.  Through integrity and sound financial practices, the Foundation has successfully stewarded the philanthropic interests of past donors and is poised to lead the next generation of givers to address the challenges facing our region.

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