New program aims to help residents strive in the workforce
26th August 2024 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
STRIVE, a national workforce organization that has helped thousands of people across the U.S. find sustainable employment, is celebrating 40 years of service and a reopening of its New Orleans program.
The organization first brought its services to the Crescent City in 2015 but operations were halted in 2019 due to funding issues. Angela Shiloh Cryer, the new executive director of STRIVE New Orleans, said STRIVE’s board was committed to returning to the city; she is likewise dedicated to ensuring that, this time around, the organization is here to stay.
“As a proud lifelong resident of New Orleans, I am overjoyed to take the reins as Founding Executive Director of STRIVE New Orleans,” said Shiloh Cryer. “I am committed to serving our community and leading the charge for holistic economic healing and growth and social progress for our residents, who have long experienced equity disparities.”
In January, Shiloh Cryer began hiring staff, and STRIVE New Orleans accepted its first new cohort of students on June 3 and its second cohort on August 5.
Before being tapped to lead STRIVE New Orleans, Shiloh Cryer served as the senior director of Advancing Cities/Talent Partnerships for the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA), the official economic development organization for the City of New Orleans. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Louisiana State University (LSU) and a master’s degree in social work from Southern University at New Orleans, where she has also been an adjunct professor at the School of Social Work for the past 20 years.
According to Shiloh Cryer, in its first New Orleans run STRIVE helped its graduates get jobs in the healthcare industry as well as in city government in areas like code enforcement, Parks and Parkways, and safety and permits.
The no-cost, 11-week program begins with three weeks of career readiness training that takes place Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Participants learn teamwork, problem solving and conflict resolution, among other important workplace skills. Following that initial training, students move to an eight-week occupational skills training program at Delgado community college, which results in a national certification upon the successful passing of an exam.
“It’s not just about getting a job; it’s about building a career,” said Shiloh Cryer.
The fourteen students of 2024’s first cohort will graduate this week. The second cohort that just started has nineteen students. Shiloh Cryer said STRIVE New Orleans will only have three cohorts this year. In 2025, however, she said STRIVE New Orleans hopes to welcome 150-175 students throughout the year.
Shiloh Cryer said the program welcomes a variety of learners. STRIVE graduates include the formerly incarcerated, single mothers, and older workers looking to make a career change. The only entry requirement is a high school diploma or GED.
According to STRIVE, 92 percent of its students are BIPOC, 78 percent receive public services and 41 percent are parents of minors.
Tracey Howard is a recently separated single mom of three children (one of whom is an adult) and a member of this year’s first STRIVE New Orleans cohort. She is receiving training and certification to be a medical administrative assistant, but her certification will also allow her to work in a similar capacity at law offices. Howard said the program has been a godsend for her.
“I needed to get a fresh start for me and my kids,” Howard said. “I had no clue where to start. STRIVE helped me break down a lot of barriers and helped me build my confidence and enter a field I was not familiar with.”
Shiloh Cryer said once people enroll with STRIVE they remain lifelong members. They have access to support groups and counseling. That counseling can be either of the career variety or the mental health variety. Some members have experienced traumas that they have never dealt with because they have never had access to mental health services. Unprocessed traumas can often stand in the way of people finding and maintaining employment.
Participants are not limited to the first jobs they get after graduation, either. If participants work a job then decide after a year or two that they would like to go back to school to further their education, STRIVE can help with that, too.
Aside from filling important jobs in New Orleans, Shiloh Cryer said STRIVE helps students accrue wealth and work towards things like buying their own homes.
“It’s better for a city to have homeowners than renters,” Shiloh Cryer said.
STRIVE works with a network of local employment partners; Ochsner Health is one of those partners.
Missy Sparks, vice president of talent management at Ochsner Health, said, “Ochsner is pleased to partner with STRIVE New Orleans in creating accessible entry points to healthcare careers. Our industry has an ongoing need for fully trained and credentialed candidates to fill key roles that offer great benefits and opportunity for growth, and we can trust STRIVE to connect us with the quality talent we seek.”
Since its inception in 1984, STRIVE, which is headquartered in East Harlem, New York, has supported more than 85,000 individuals looking for employment, and now operates in fourteen locations. New Orleans is not the only Southern city in which STRIVE operates. Just last year it expanded into Birmingham, Ala., and, in 2021, it opened in Atlanta. The program aims to serve 10,000 people across the nation each year by 2033.
“2024 has been a banner year as we continue to expand to other cities across the U.S., creating a pathway to economic opportunity and empowerment for thousands of people facing systemic barriers to quality employment,” said STRIVE President and CEO Phil Weinberg in a press release. “Our 76 percent employment placement rate for our graduates is a testament to the grit and determination of our students and the support of our generous donors, dedicated staff, alumni and partners.”
Last week, a graduation ceremony was held for STRIVE New Orleans’ inaugural cohort of students.
“I know what the power of STRIVE can do for people who are ready for real change – I have seen it with my own eyes. This is a time for great celebration in the Crescent City and I am dedicated to continuing my work creating positive change and growth and eliminating equity barriers for a better New Orleans for all,” said Shiloh Cryer.
Info sessions are held in person on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. at STRIVE New Orleans, located in the New Orleans Career Center at 1331 Kerlerec Street; virtual sessions are held on Thursdays at 10 a.m. Pre-registration is required to participate in the info sessions.
For more information, call 504-387-6080 to speak with the outreach coordinator or visit strive.org/neworleans.
This article originally published in the August 26, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
