For the chronically unemployed, life can become an exercise in hopelessness and despair as jobless individuals lose touch with the workplace and experience the erosion of their skills, according to researchers.

On Tuesday, July 21, the Chester County Commissioners and the Chester County Workforce Development Board announced what they view as a promising alternative: the start of Platform to Employment (P2E), a multi-faceted program. It will offer job readiness training, personal support services, finance counseling, and paid work experience with the intent to secure jobs for 25 individuals who have experienced long-term unemployment in Chester County.

P2E is a five-week preparatory program, created by Connecticut-based “The WorkPlace,” to address the need for the long-term unemployed to return to work and the employers’ need to recruit skilled workers. Chester County’s commitment to this program is the first in Pennsylvania, said a county press release.

“Nowhere is this need to bring together employers with long-term unemployed more relevant than in Chester County,” said Chester County Commissioners’ Chairman Terence Farrell in the release. “At just four percent, our unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the state, and it is safe to say that employers cannot find good fits for some open positions. Many of our long-term unemployed people have the skills required for those positions, but they need career-related support services to strengthen those skills. Platform to Employment addresses that need.”

Chester County’s decision to contract with The Workplace on the P2E program follows research into the success of the initiative in areas across the country, said Pat Bokovitz, director of the Chester County Department of Community Development. The formula created by The Workplace has resulted in nine out of 10 participants’ being hired by employers by the end of the program.

Commissioner Kathi Cozzone, who also serves as a member of the Chester County Workforce Development Board, commented: “Like other areas in Pennsylvania and the nation, Chester County has a number of long-term unemployed who aren’t included in the unemployment figures because they’re no longer collecting benefits. And many of them are over the age of 50.

“Anyone who has been out of work for a long period of time, no matter what the age, faces very tough odds of finding a job again,” Cozzone continued. “I’m confident that the P2E model that we’ll be using, alongside our PA CareerLink Chester County and United Way Financial Stability Center partnership, will reduce those odds tremendously.”

The launch of the P2E program began with an appeal to all Chester County residents who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more to complete an online application for entry into the program. Bokovitz said applications starting coming in right after the announcement. He said the county is reaching out to faith-based communities and job clubs to ensure that people who could benefit from the program have the opportunity to apply.

“We’re looking at it as a pilot,” Bokovitz said. However, he said the quick response from applicants and inquiries from employers already shows high interest. “I think we will continue with it in some form or fashion,” he said.

He said the county sought and received a $200,000 grant – federal funds that were distributed through the state – to address the problem of long-term unemployment. The program will cost $179,500, the bulk of which – $122,000 – will pay the wages of the participants for eight weeks, he said, adding that sometimes companies will put the workers on their payroll sooner, saving some of that cost. The funds that remain will go toward outreach to employers.

“We’re really excited about this,” Bokovitz said, explaining that this particular segment of the jobless community has been hard to serve. “It’s so easy for people to become discouraged and then they struggle to get motivated to apply for jobs,” he said. “We want to end that cycle.“

In addition, Bokovitz said he believes the program will help educate businesses to the benefits of “taking a chance on someone who’s been out of the workforce” for some time. During the recruitment period for participants, Chester County’s Workforce Development Board will be reaching out to the county’s employers to show them the P2E model and discuss the program.

Details of eligibility, the requirements for acceptance into the P2E program, and the application can be found here  (click on the Chester County button on the right side of the home page).   Space within the program is limited to 25 people, and all applicants will be subject to a selection process. Training is scheduled to start in early September.