Jobs. More importantly, careers.
That’s the key part of the $600,000 initiative announced last week by nonprofit funder GreenLight Fund Greater Newark, which intends to bring the EMS Corps program to Greater Newark.
EMS Corps, which has proven to be a workforce development initiative, provides participants with a five-month paid stipend, emergency medical technician job training, youth development, mentoring and job placement — ultimately improving health outcomes and supporting sustainable career pathways.
In Newark, 40 young people will go through the program annually for each of the next four years.
EMS Corps founder Michael Gibson said his group is excited to be partnering with GreenLight Greater Newark to provide quality training, mentoring and wraparound services to young people in Greater Newark.
“EMS Corps provides a platform for hundreds of young people who have been underestimated and undervalued to build successful careers in health care, fire and public safety and, in the process, strengthen the systems that serve their communities,” he said.
There’s a track record of success, too.
Previously in California and New Mexico, 400 young people have graduated from EMS Corps at a rate of 90% with an EMT licensing rate of over 80%, well beyond the national average.
EMS Corps ensures positive outcomes by providing case management and employment support to help young adults pursue meaningful careers. Alumni have gone on to become doctors, nurses, teachers, mentors, firefighters, emergency personnel, law enforcement officials and more.
GreenLight Greater Newark’s investment in the EMS Corps program was informed by a yearlong selection process conducted in partnership with a local selection advisory council, a diverse group of 36 talented residents, leaders and experts from various fields.
Through the process, GreenLight Greater Newark identified workforce development for young people as a critical need in the community and, after searching the country, EMS Corps was selected based on its proven track record addressing this need.
“During our Community Conversations tour last summer, we listened to the concerns of community members, nonprofit leaders and key stakeholders and learned about the urgent need to create more workforce development opportunities for our young people,” GreenLight Greater Newark Executive Director Tish Johnson-Jones said.
“In response to this need, we selected EMS Corps, as we believe their evidence-based training, mentoring and job placement program will help open doors for our young people and empower the next generation to make a difference in a career field that has been historically unattainable for them.”
Newark Community Street Team was selected to implement and operate the Newark EMS Corps program in the Greater Newark area. NCST was founded by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka as Newark’s community-based violence reduction strategy by providing an evidence-based, trauma informed approach to violence reduction.
“The Newark Community Street Team has long been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for Newark residents through its multifaceted community engagement and public safety initiatives,” Daamin Durden, executive director, Newark Community Street Team, said. “By partnering with GreenLight Greater Newark and EMS Corps, a leading provider of emergency medical services training, NCST is extending its commitment to improving the well-being of Newark’s residents.”
