For the City-Times

CAP Services’ Skills Enhancement Program will receive a $7,500 grant from BMO Harris Bank to assist individuals in Portage, Waupaca, Waushara and Outagamie counties.

“CAP Services plays an important role in providing educational opportunities for many people in our communities,” said John Tubbs, BMO Harris Bank Regional President. “These opportunities lead to better jobs and stronger communities, which is why we continue supporting this critical initiative.”

The Skills Enhancement Program is a locally designed workforce development program that assists working, low-income individuals obtain the skills needed to compete for living wage jobs. The program assists with tuition, books, and training-related transportation and child care costs that participants could not otherwise afford.

In 2013, the Skills Program helped 31 households obtain the training needed to obtain living wage jobs and health insurance. The average annual increase in household earnings for individuals who completed the program was $17, 221. Approximately 70% of those individuals gained access to employer-sponsored health insurance benefits.

“We are grateful to BMO Harris Bank for their continued support of this program,” said Andrew Konkel, CAP’s Assistant Director of Human Development. “Their support, along with the support of our other funders, helps us to help others on their paths toward self-sufficiency.”

For more information on CAP’s Skills Enhancement Program, contact Konkel at 920-968-6365 (ext. 6565) or [email protected]

CAP Services is a private, nonprofit community action agency that has been helping low-income people in Outagamie, Marquette, Portage, Waupaca and Waushara counties attain economic and emotional self-sufficiency since 1966.