UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- In an effort to address the welfare-to-work transition in communities across the state, Mellon Financial Corp. and Penn State today announced a partnership to develop an innovative program to help Pennsylvania welfare recipients bridge the gap between public assistance and successful, lasting employment. The program will be funded by a $1 million gift from Mellon Financial Corp. Foundation to Penn State Cooperative Extension.

"All Pennsylvanians deserve the dignity that comes from a paycheck for an honest day's work," said Gov. Tom Ridge. "I congratulate Mellon and Penn State for joining together to help Pennsylvania welfare recipients get the education, training and support they need to get a job -- and the independence and pride that come with it!"

The Mellon Community Bridge Project will bring together Mellon, Penn State Cooperative Extension county-based educators, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, local businesses and community agencies to create a support and training network for public assistance recipients entering the workforce.

"The goal of this project is to bring all the key players into a working collaboration to integrate welfare recipients into the workforce," said Penn State President Graham B. Spanier. "The project reflects the University's strong commitment to workforce development across the Commonwealth. Mellon's participation is especially significant because it represents major financial support from the private sector for our Cooperative Extension programs, which traditionally have depended largely on public and University resources. We are deeply grateful to Mellon for taking this leadership role."

"We're pleased to join Penn State and the state Department of Public Welfare to create a program that will unite the state's employers, residents and community agencies to address an important and pressing community need," said Martin G. McGuinn, Mellon chairman and chief executive officer. "This program will reach communities across the entire state, supporting residents making the transition from welfare to work, meeting the needs of employers for qualified workers and making Pennsylvania a better place to live, work and do business."

The Mellon Community Bridge Project addresses a need created by changes in federal welfare policy. Recent welfare reform not only requires recipients to work in exchange for public support, but in most cases limits the time recipients can receive assistance.

"Since welfare reform began three years ago, Pennsylvania has made historic progress in moving families from lives of dependency on the system to lives of self-sufficiency," said Feather O. Houstoun, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. "One of the reasons welfare reform has been so successful is because of the commitment to families from all levels of the community, and in particular, from the business community

. "Today, we see another example of this commitment to Pennsylvania's families with Mellon's Community Bridge Project. This innovative program will benefit both businesses and welfare recipients alike -- welfare recipients will be connected with resources they may need to make a successful transition to the workforce, and businesses will in turn gain qualified employees."

The 10-year project will be piloted in Chester and Delaware counties, then expanded statewide. Over this period, Penn State will conduct longitudinal research and track the career development of participants to evaluate the program's effectiveness.

The program model calls for the formation of community advisory committees consisting of business managers, educators, human service professionals and local residents. The committees will assess their communities' business climates and recruit a pool of local residents willing to volunteer as mentors for welfare clients.

A Penn State Cooperative Extension program facilitator will be hired to coordinate existing extension resources and to work with volunteer mentors. Mentors will be trained to offer support and guidance for clients, helping them to identify workable strategies for improving their circumstances.

Participants also will undergo employment skills assessments and take part in appropriate job skills training. In addition, clients will receive help in matching current skills to available training opportunities in the community, and they will be coached to match employment goals with realistic employment opportunities.

"The program's objective reaches far beyond merely assisting low-income people to find work," said Theodore R. Alter, Penn State associate vice president for outreach and director of cooperative extension. "The model is designed to show how local businesses can partner with other agencies to address critical social and economic issues in their communities."

The Mellon Financial Corp. Foundation provides support for initiatives in economic development, health and human services, culture and education. Mellon is a leader in workforce development and job readiness initiatives. In addition to the Mellon Community Bridge Project, Mellon has partnerships with the National Council on Aging as well as welfare-to-work programs in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Boston. In 1999, Mellon was awarded the Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh's "Power of Work" award.

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EDITORS: For more information, at Mellon Financial Corp., contact Jim Dever at (215) 553-3918 or Ron Gruendl at (412) 234-7157.

Contacts: Chuck Gill cdg5@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-865-1068 fax