Redf

About Redf

Research Shows That Employment Is A Chief "Trigger" In Aiding Those With The Greatest Barriers To Work In Their Transition From Poverty To Productivity And Greater Prosperity. Nearly Three-Fourths Of Poverty Spells End With A Rise In Earnings And Employment Occurs Twice As Frequently As Any Other Event Associated With An Exit From Poverty. Employment Also Encourages Social Mobility In Addition To Providing An Economic Benefit. A Job Strengthens Human Capital, Facilitates Access To Financial Capital, Builds Interpersonal Skills, And Enhances Social Networks. Having A Job Boosts Employees' Self-Confidence And Is Source Of Dignity And Pride.But Entering And Staying In The Workforce Is Extremely Difficult For Many People Who Live In Protracted Poverty And Have Also Confronted Homelessness, Health Problems, Fragmented Families, Incarceration, And Inadequate Access To A Good Education. The Private Sector Is Often Unwilling To Hire Employees Facing These Barriers Or Provide Adequate Support To Address The Many Challenges That Can Undermine Their Success Once On The Job.Few Workforce Development Programs Have Achieved Positive Outcomes Preparing Those Workers That Are Most Disconnected To Jobs, Or Creating Durable Pathways To Employment. Mdrc, One Of The Premiere Researchers In This Area, Summarizes This Consensus: "For At Least Three Decades, Policymakers, Researchers, And Program Operators Have Developed And Studied Strategies To Help People Who Face Serious Obstacles To Steady Work. Despite The Broad Policy Interest In Serving The Hard-To-Employ, Knowledge About Effective Program Strategies Is Still Relatively Undeveloped."Redf Is Uniquely Positioned To Address This Problem. Our Successful Track Record Of Building The Capacity Of Nonprofits To Operate Social Enterprises And The Success Those Businesses Have Demonstrated In Employing, Retaining And Advancing Their Employees Is A Solid Foundation To Build On As We Invest In Our New Portfolio And Expand The Role We Play With The Organizations That We Intensely Supported For Many Years.