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United Way Family-Sustaining Employment

Summary of Our Work

The future well-being of our region is directly tied to a stable, skilled workforce that can attract and retain business and revitalize neighborhoods. Yet, many individuals in northern New Jersey are working in low-paying jobs that offer no health care or paid sick leave and no opportunity for career advancement.  These workers, who are essential to our communities, are struggling to make ends meet with little ability to get ahead.  Without enough income to cover the costs of basic necessities, they have no means to establish savings and build assets.

The stakes are incredibly high.  As our economy struggles to recover, the vitality of our local communities and the nation is increasingly at risk.  That is why United Way Worldwide has enlisted the help of 10 local United Ways to engage their communities in developing plans for a stronger workforce – a workforce that meets the needs of local families and employers.  Ultimately, successful models and best practices emerging from this project will guide other United Ways as they address these issues in their communities.

United Way of Northern New Jersey knows it takes the entire community working together to effect change; these issues are simply too big for any one organization to resolve on its own.  Our first step has been to turn to the people living and working in Somerset County to gain a deeper understanding of their hopes and challenges.

Together with the expertise of public, private, and nonprofit organizations, we are turning that knowledge into strategies to help people attain and retain jobs that pay a family-sustaining wage and provide benefits.  With so many community organizations involved in this important work – from higher education to employers to local government entities – we are uniquely positioned to find new and creative ways to prepare individuals for employment.

Whether it is connecting job seekers with the most current local job information or advocating for more affordable education and training programs to adequately prepare people for those jobs, we are working to ensure everyone in Somerset County has access to the support they need for getting and keeping a job with a livable wage.  Together, we will harness the power of our shared passion for a community which properly supports those who call it home.

United Way Family-Sustaining Employment Mission

The mission of United Way Family-Sustaining Employment is to develop long-term solutions that address the barriers preventing families and individuals from achieving and maintaining financial independence.

United Way Family-Sustaining Employment's goals are to:

• To develop a community collaboration that provides employers with trained workers and connects unemployed and/or low-paid, low-skilled workers with opportunities to earn family-sustaining wages.
• To provide resources and supports to help individuals retain employment and advance in their careers.