These women never have a chance to finish their schooling, nor have the chance to develop a work history. When rescued, these survivors struggle to find legitimate jobs, leading them more vulnerable to be re-victimized.
The leading trauma-informed workforce development program in the midwest.
Salt and Light stands apart from adjacent programs by being trauma-informed, meaning we adjust to how trauma may impact a survivor’s recovery path and their specific needs for support to be effective. This means our program is longer to build trust and community— while traditional workforce development programs are on average 12 weeks long, ours takes six months. We recognize that survivors need time to develop trust and rebuild their sense of self.
For the first three months, the women go through a Life Skills Curriculum. In this stage, Thrivers go through a journey of self-discovery where daily reflections, psychoeducation, yoga, fitness and nutrition classes help them build self-awareness and a toolkit for lifelong self-care.
In the second three months, we build on each Thriver’s self-awareness and prepare them to build a career they will love through daily workshops that focus on career development and employability.
Upon graduation, our Thrivers can apply to receive a $2,500 scholarship to help them be successful in the workforce. This can be used to pay for a degree or certification, secure housing closer to work, fund their childcare until they begin receiving paychecks, to secure reliable transportation, or to remove other barriers. Thrivers who excel in our program are placed in jobs with our corporate partners.
Between this monetary support and the skills they’ve acquired during their time at Salt and Light Coalition, Thrivers graduate with what they need to succeed.
75% of our Thrivers are in the workforce at graduation, and even though 100% of our Thrivers are considered extremely low income at intake, our graduates current average income is $43,170.