GRCC’s Pathways to Prosperity program served adults with low incomes and low educational and basic skill levels in high-poverty areas in Kent County, MI. The program focused on providing services to individuals who were unemployed, had not completed high school, or had been formerly incarcerated. Pathways to Prosperity offered an eight-week course known as Career Prep, occupational training programs that resulted in a GRCC certificate, basic skills courses, and adult basic education and GED courses. Through the Career Prep course, participants earned the Michigan Employability Certificate. The program also provided academic and personal advising to help participants identify barriers, find necessary supportive services, and choose trainings. The program offered all training free of charge and provided transportation assistance and other financial assistance to pay for uniforms or tools. GRCC’s four organizational partners also guided participants on finding employment. Participants attended 3.3 months of coursework and training, on average, and the most commonly attended activity was the Career Prep class. The Pathways to Prosperity program was part of the larger Pathways Out of Poverty grant initiative, which funded 55 training programs in green occupations across the United States. GRCC operated Pathways to Prosperity from January 2010 to July 2012.
Grand Rapids Community College’s (GRCC’s) Pathways to Prosperity program offered occupational training and supportive services to adults with low incomes.