Against the backdrop of an employability skills workshop graduation, the leaders of STRIVE-New Haven (STRIVE) and Career Resources, Inc. (CRI) signed a merger contract. This merger allows STRIVE to provide its clients access to more employment services through CRI while focusing their resources on programming.
CRI is a leading nonprofit providing youth and adults throughout Connecticut skills, resources and support for personal development, economic self-sufficiency and career advancement. STRIVE is a workforce development provider that assists Greater New Haven residents with life skills training, computer literacy workshops, job readiness training, placement assistance and comprehensive retention services. The combined agency will be headed by CRI’s current CEO, Scott K. Wilderman. The signing ceremony today at the Dixwell-Yale Learning Center coincided with the graduation of STRIVE 119th employability skills workshop.
“STRIVE is about focusing on outcomes, and this merger is a great outcome for our program. It is clear STRIVE-New Haven can thrive best by uniting with other STRIVE affiliates in Connecticut and merging with CRI, one of the most respected organizations in the field. New Haveners will be well served by having our previously stand-alone program under the care and guidance of CRI for the years ahead,” said former STRIVE Chair, Michael Morand.
Scott Wilderman, Career Resources, Inc. President/CEO, agreed, “We are very excited at Career Resources, Inc. to welcome STRIVE-New Haven under our program umbrella. The outstanding services that STRIVE-New Haven has provided for the past twelve years will be a huge asset to providing the most comprehensive, high quality services for job seekers throughout Connecticut.”
Currently, Career Resources, Inc. manages the STRIVE program in Hartford and Bridgeport, as well as many other workforce development initiatives across the state. The STRIVE-New Haven program will remain distinctive after the merge in order to provide the most comprehensive options for job seekers within the region. CRI will support the administrative end of STRIVE while the delivery of service will remain the same.The combined STRIVE programs will be run by former New Haven Executive Director/current CRI Assistant Vice President Brian Roccapriore.
As competition and dependence on decreasing public sector money pose problems for employment and training programs, this combined entity will ensure the ongoing delivery of STRIVE’s critical services to the community. This merger was made possible in part by a generous grant from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the purpose of which is to provide support for nonprofit agencies considering transition activities such as mergers, acquisitions and consolidation.