Education & Employment: Women@Work

Who we serve:

Women@Work  (W@W), part of St. Mary’s Center’s Workforce Development Program, is a natural extension of and complement to our residential programming.  Many program participants are single mothers who have experienced severe poverty and trauma. Despite these challenges, W@W participants are committed to furthering their education and developing critical workforce development skills to obtain entry-level jobs that will lead to a successful career path for them.

Who we are:

W@W is a 20 -week job readiness training program that addresses the vocational needs of women who face multiple barriers to employment, including homelessness, lack of a high-school diploma or equivalency. Program participants are provided with contextualized classroom instruction and college- level coursework integrated with paid work experiences through an array of employer partners in several high-growth industries. To ensure they are equipped with the resources and support they need to succeed, participants are provided comprehensive, on-site case management to address the social, emotional, physical, and logistical obstacles to their success in education and employment training.

What we do:

Education & Employment team provides intensive tracking and outreach services to participants including daily check-in calls to ensure follow through and timeliness. Participants are connected to day care, housing assistance, mental health, and educational vocational resources. In collaboration with Bunker Hill Community College, our trainees receive free college-credit courses through the W@W program – beginning their pursuit of higher education degrees.

Education & Employment team creates a supportive and nurturing environment that fosters personal growth and empowerment. Encouraged to attain self-confidence and self-respect, participants learn positive life and parenting skills, and seek to live healthy, fulfilling and interdependent lives.

Students of the W@W program are trained to enter professions in four stable industry sectors: Real Estate Management, Health Care, Higher Education and Financial Services.

We also partner with employer partners in the community to provide paid internships for our trainees.

Program Overview:

W@W is a 20-week program designed to assist trainees in learning about careers, learning various tools, and resources that will assist a trainee with managing work/ life balance. Students will learn about higher education and opportunities to create their own career paths. W@W is here to provide resources, coaching, tools, and support for trainees as they begin to build the career they want! 

Requirements are as follow:

Must be 18+ years old and have a GED, HiSet, or High School Diploma. W@W Covers Healthcare, Office Administration, and Technology training. Other services we will provide are 6-week paid internship, career readiness: Resumes, Cover letters, Interview skills, and College& Career Exploration. Program accolades:

• Business Math and English – College Credits
• Microsoft Applications
• Medical Terminology
• Remedial business
• Financial Literacy
• Soft Skills and Job Readiness
• Cover letter, Resume and Mock Interviews

These programs are set to intake 10 – 13 participants on rotation. The program for W@W is approximately 20 Weeks.

Our Employer and Training Partners

• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Corcoran Property Management
• Cristo Rey Boston High School
• Franciscan Children’s Hospital
• New England Center for Arts and Technology
• RCAB Pastoral Center
• Boston Help Desk
• Bunker Hill Community College
• Mother’s for Justice and Equality
• Tech Goes Home

Looking for qualified interns? Become an employer partner, contact  training@stmaryscenterma.org.