Pay for Success agreement funds training and job placement initiative to foster workforce development in Oklahoma City
Media Release
July 31, 2024
OKLAHOMA CITY — A recently signed Pay for Success agreement will provide career training and job placement for roughly 70 Oklahoma City community members who face significant barriers in obtaining employment. The agreement between SidexSide and Oklahoma Human Services (OHS) is financially supported by the Oklahoma Impact Investing Collaborative (Collaborative) in partnership with Inasmuch Foundation, Lori and Jeff Blumenthal, McLaughlin Family Foundation, and MetaFund. These private funds provide SidexSide with upfront operational funding. Public dollars only pay for successful results. The project is expected to be completed over a three-year period.
SidexSide, an Oklahoma City-based non-profit founded in January 2023, works to bridge the gap between overlooked talent and local employers who need to hire. Participants enter the eight-week program through trusted, local partner organizations such as The Spero Project, RestoreOKC, Diversion Hub, Center for Employment Opportunities, The Education and Employment Ministry, Palomar, Hope is Alive, and OIC of Oklahoma County. These organizations refer individuals they believe demonstrate the level of commitment needed to participate in the program.
“SidexSide is more than just a name – it’s a proclamation of where we aim to stand,” said Chad Jordan, Founder and CEO of SidexSide. “By partnering with OHS and the Collaborative for this innovative financing pathway, we get to amplify our partnership-rooted mission, standing side-by-side with even more members of our city’s overlooked talent pipeline and the employers who are ready to hire them. This is a win-win for both our local economy and the local families who experience housing stability and economic mobility as a result of our train and retain model.”
Following the initial four weeks of power skills training, participants are integrated into one of the strategic partnerships that SidexSide has cultivated with local employers for a full-time “earn and learn” experience. These partnerships allow program participants to apply their skills in real-world scenarios while affording the local employer a chance to assess the individual for a long-term fit.
Ideally, the participant will receive an offer for long-term employment upon completion of the program. Graduates of the eight-week program will have completed 320 hours of career readiness engagement, having earned five or more training certificates. The curriculum emphasizes communication, time management, emotional intelligence, computer skills, financial literacy, mental health, and more.
SidexSide provides a stipend for participation in the program to ensure the access barrier is removed; additionally, SidexSide also provides holistic support by collaborating with paid case management partners to address needs such as housing, transportation, nutrition, and healthcare.
These supports are especially vital as many of the participants who have gone through the program have faced multiple barriers to career employment. Of SidexSide’s total participants to-date, 49 percent were in recovery and 60 percent experienced previous justice involvement. Upon entry into SidexSide, 86 percent were receiving state benefits, 89 percent struggled to pay monthly bills, and 89 percent experienced recent food insecurity.
"Oklahoma Human Services is excited for this partnership with SidexSide," said Deb Smith, Deputy Director of Oklahoma Human Services. "Each job seeker is different, with unique training and placement needs to create long-term success for their family and reduce future usage of state assistance. Community partnerships like these are critical to our mission of strengthening families not only for today, but also long into the future."
While SidexSide has only been in existence for about 19 months, they have assisted 64 participants through six training cohorts. Of those participants, 84 percent have completed the program and 94 percent of graduates were offered long-term career opportunities by SidexSide’s employer partners upon completion of the program. SidexSide’s alumni have already experienced a 10 percent decrease in reliance on state benefits, a 48 percent reduction in struggling to pay monthly bills, a 45 percent reduction in food insecurity, and a significant increase in their average gross monthly income because of the program.
"The Collaborative is proud to invest in a data-driven program that not only enhances Oklahoma's workforce but thoughtfully supports the whole person. By supporting initiatives like this, we're not just creating job opportunities; we're removing obstacles and paving the way for sustainable careers that build better futures. We also love that SidexSide is supporting employers with a pipeline of skilled and dedicated employees that help our communities and economy grow,” said Sharayah Fore, Vice President of Impact at MetaFund.
For more information about SidexSide, visit sidexsideokc.org. More information about the Collaborative and MetaFund is available at metafund.org.
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Media Contact:
Ed Long
405.922.7580
About SidexSide
SidexSide exists to curate talent & employer mutuality – building a bridge between overlooked talent who need career pathways to support their families and local employers who need to hire a stable, prepared workforce. This is achieved through a train & retain model – emphasizing power skills and on-the-job development essential for career integration – within a 501(c)(3) nonprofit framework.
About Oklahoma Human Services
Oklahoma Human Services offers help and hope to more than one million Oklahomans each year through a wide range of services and support that promote their safety, independence and wellbeing. Learn more at https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs.html and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About Oklahoma Impact Investing Collaborative
The Oklahoma Impact Investing Collaborative (Collaborative), a MetaFund initiative, uses philanthropic capital to provide flexible loans and technical assistance to innovative, mission-driven nonprofit and for-profit organizations, with the potential to improve outcomes for Oklahomans. The Collaborative is a national leader in Pay for Success financing.
About MetaFund
MetaFund is an Oklahoma-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) working with other nonprofits, the private sector, and government toward a just world free of poverty. MetaFund invests in creative solutions for communities, with a primary focus on employment, housing, health, and child well-being. For more information about the Collaborative or MetaFund, visit www.metafund.org.