New Haven Hiring Initiative - Creating career pathways

In March, the New Haven Hiring Initiative (NHHI) launched a new On-The-Job Training program. Since that time, six New Haven residents from the neighborhoods of focus were placed in the program. While still in the pilot phase, this new initiative is showing positive results. After only a couple of months of training, three of the six trainees secured regular employment at Yale. 

Ada Mugisha was one of the first candidates chosen for the program. While she had a finance degree from Marist College, she didn’t have much work experience in that field. She worked as an assistant financial trainee at the Yale School of Public Health for three months getting real on-the-job training. When a retirement in the department created a vacancy, she was offered a regular financial assistant position. 

Former New Haven Promise intern Shirley-Ann Feliciano spent five months as a trainee with the Public Safety Department. With her degree in criminal justice and the outstanding mentorship provided by the Public Safety staff, she secured an M&P position as a compliance and crime analyst.

“Shirley is doing an amazing job, and the compliance and crime analyst role is a perfect fit for her. She has a lot of potentials, and I am confident that she will have a great career at Yale,” said Lisa Skelly-Byrnes, Director of Compliance and Strategic Initiatives.

Another former New Haven Promise intern, Todd Treichel, managed to secure employment through the on-the-job training program. Todd spent a few months as a Health and Safety technician with the Environmental Health and Safety Department. He was recently offered a 12-month fixed duration role as an environmental affairs assistant.

NHHI continues developing training opportunities for New Haven residents. In addition to the on-the-job training program, currently, five residents were hired into a New Haven Resident Rotational Trainee program. The 12-month program funded by central Human Resources is also in a pilot phase—the first person hired in the program already secured regular employment at Yale.