Papitto Opportunity Connection Grant
Building a Workforce for the Future
The Papitto Opportunity Connection (POC) has provided Lifespan with a four-year, $10 million grant award to support career programs that help ensure our workforce and its leaders reflect the communities we serve. This unique partnership provides a sustainable way to accelerate our efforts to build a professional development program that is not just for entry level jobs, but for meaningful employment pathways and career-oriented opportunities.
“This program has given me the opportunity, the ability and the capability to be able to have life-changing experiences that I can pass on to other people." - Isaac Demola
Building the Workforce of the Future
Learn more about the on the impact of the Papitto Opportunity Connection grant at Lifespan and in the communities we serve.
The POC award will allow Lifespan to provide the state’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community with free training programs that lead to certifications for high-demand medical professions including:
Training the Next Voices at Lifespan
Learn about our free career training programs for medical assistant, mental health worker, nursing assistant, and pharmacy technician II.
How Will Grant Support Help?
With the grant support, Lifespan will expand existing and implement new workforce development programs including:
- A paid job training program for formerly incarcerated BIPOC individuals.
- A nursing leadership fellowship program.
- A succession planning program to prepare diverse employees for leadership roles.
- Additional academic scholarship opportunities.
Lifespan also hopes to hire up to 80 BIPOC adolescents through our summer youth employment program.
About the Papitto Opportunity Connection
The POC is a non-profit private foundation dedicated to listening and working together with Rhode Island’s BIPOC communities to empower and create individual success stories by investing in education, job skills training, and entrepreneurial ventures.