Job Seekers Earn while Learning Manufacturing Skills
Manufacturing and Technical Community Hub (MATCH) is an innovative training facility in New Haven’s Fair Haven neighborhood, supported by public and private partners including The Community Foundation and New Haven Healthy Start.
An innovative manufacturing training center is paying job seekers to acquire valuable skills while gaining practical work experience. Manufacturing and Technical Community Hub (MATCH) recently opened its training facility in New Haven’s Fair Haven neighborhood with support from public and private partners including The Community Foundation and New Haven Healthy Start (NHHS).
MATCH will focus on serving high school graduates entering the workforce, unemployed New Haven residents, residents of color, and women. The program offers bilingual instruction in a range of disciplines including sheet metal fabrication, CNC (computer numerical control) machining, wiring, inventory control, customer service, and marketing. MATCH also connects trainees with wrap-around support like financial literacy training and guidance through the benefits cliff during their transition to employment.
The Community Foundation is supporting MATCH with a $125,000 grant from its mission investments company (TCF-MIC) in partnership with the Amour Propre Fund and a $50,000 grant from The Foundation’s Career Pathways initiative.
New Haven Healthy Start (NHHS), a program of The Foundation, is a community partner for the program. Participants in the NHHS fatherhood program worked to transform the MATCH facility from an empty warehouse into a state-of-the-art training facility. The fathers also comprise the first training cohort. The partnership was facilitated by New Haven Healthy Start Director Natasha Ray, who is also vice chair of the MATCH Board of Directors.
"At MATCH, we believe in the power of community. We are not just a learning hub, but a place where job seekers find support, guidance, and mentorship," said Marcia Lafemina, Board Chair at MATCH. "Through our collaborative partnerships with local organizations, we create a pathway for individuals to learn, grow, and thrive in the manufacturing field and in life. MATCHCT.org serves as a platform to connect trainees with wrap-around support like financial literacy training and guidance through the benefits cliff during their transition to employment."
