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Programming

The primary focus of the Urban Alliance programming efforts is workforce development, specifically designed for individuals with significant barriers to competitive employment. While most of our students have been successfully hired, maintaining employment and working toward promotion opportunities are historically where our friends struggle.

In response to this need, Urban Alliance offers Momentum and additional technical training in collaboration with Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) and the Northside Association of Community Development (NACD) to help students secure and maintain living-wage employment. We believe that stable and sustainable employment is critical to both individual and community transformation.

 

 

CHANGE OF STATUS

Helping men to learn skills, make changes, and become equipped for the next stage of their life.

Urban Alliance’s Change of Status (CoS) program is a 12-week gathering of men looking to make serious change in their lives who have a previous history of incarceration and/or may be experiencing violent behavior tendencies or minimal substance abuse. This gathering is a safe place for men to speak and not be judged, develop a brotherhood with likeminded men, and be equipped for the next step on their journey to the continuation of changing status through various life skills.

Registration is available here.

 

 

MOMENTUM

Students are connected to sustainable employment opportunities through life skill and career readiness training in this program.

The Momentum Urban Employment Initiative is a four-week, community-based economic development program for unemployed and underemployed individuals within the community. We connect these individuals to sustainable employment opportunities through pre-employment training, life skills training, coaching, and networking with Urban Alliance’s business network.

The program emphasizes pre-employment education, volunteer work experience, mentoring, job placement, and job evaluation with incentives. In addition, Momentum addresses the root causes of early job loss by building capacity and resiliency within the students through essential and life-skills classes.

 

 

TECHNICAL TRAINING

Hands-on technical training for Urban Alliance graduates and the greater community.

Beginning in 2015, Urban Alliance formed a partnership with KVCC to provide specialized technical training upon completion of the Momentum program. These intensive, accelerated, employer-driven academies have been highly successful in further equipping Momentum graduates to gain life-sustaining jobs as well as help in positioning them for future promotions.

The academies combine college-level classroom instruction with hands-on technical experience. Students may participate in a variety of trainings including CNC operation, warehouse management, and production technology.

In 2021, Urban Alliance began partnering with NACD and The Kalamazoo Promise to operate our academies on the north side of Kalamazoo. Our organization provides the same excellent training while also creating additional pathways for members of our greater community to have access to both our equipment and instruction. This partnership offers access to appropriate non-Momentum students in addition to our graduates.

 
 

Communicating through our actions that

WE VALUE EVERY
INDIVIDUAL.

Meet the dedicated Urban Alliance staff that makes it all happen.

 
Meet the Urban Alliance Staff