Penn Foster and JEVS Present Workshop on Education/Workforce Training as a Successful Alternative to Incarceration at GSETA Conference

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ--(Marketwired - October 03, 2017) - Penn Foster Inc., a leading skills solutions organization focused on providing competencies, career pathways and employment matching for today's evolving workforce, and JEVS Human Services, one of the Philadelphia region's leading human service organizations, announced they will together present a workshop on their successful partnership to provide education and skills training to JEVS clients. The workshop is part of the GSETA 35th Annual Workforce Development Conference, held October 4-5 in Atlantic City.

Titled "Leveraging Online & Blended Learning Education Solutions When Serving At-Risk and Justice-Involved Populations," the workshop, on October 4 at 8:30am EDT, will be jointly presented by Nadine Sacco, Penn Foster's Manager of Workforce Development and Nigel Bowe, Program Director at JEVS Human Services. The presentation will focus on the ways in which the two organizations have partnered for JEVS' The Choice is Yours (TCY) initiative that combines Penn Foster's online education with JEVS' workforce training to transform lives of first-time, non-violent felony drug offenders. Sacco and Bowe will also discuss TCY's key program outcomes and impact.

"We are very pleased to present at a conference whose tagline is 'Innovation and Opportunity in Action,' which embraces a realm of creative ideas on workforce development," said Bowe. "This is a great opportunity for JEVS and Penn Foster to share the knowledge we've jointly gained on best practices for offering education and training to individuals who otherwise would go into the system. We're proud of this work and of the two cohorts of graduates we've helped bring through who understand that they have the power to change their own destiny."

Penn Foster and JEVS have partnered since 2016. Currently TCY participants utilize Penn Foster's competency-based online learning platform to earn their accredited High School Diploma as part of the education/skills training combination that has improved program participants' opportunities for future employment. Thus far 12 participants have completed TCY, with an average 90% completion rate.

"We're looking forward both to attending the conference and to presenting the workshop, where we'll discuss how education and workforce development can work hand-in-hand to create even more effective solutions for providing opportunities for at-risk youth," said Sacco. "We hope the workshop will also serve to spark dialogue with others in the workforce development field who understand the power of offering educational and training opportunities to those who want a fresh start in life."

About Penn Foster
Students, employers and partner organizations rely on Penn Foster to build the skills and knowledge to power the 21st century workforce. For over 125 years, Penn Foster has been dedicated to helping people lead more meaningful and productive lives and to improving social outcomes through education. Penn Foster provides career pathways for opportunity youth and adult learners through diverse and affordable online diploma, certificate and degree programs, offered via its high school, career school and college. With more than 30,000 graduates each year, Penn Foster's online and blended learning programs are delivered in a self-paced, competency-based model wrapped by comprehensive academic, professional and personal support and coaching. For more information, visit http://partners.pennfoster.edu.

About JEVS Human Services
JEVS Human Services enhances the employability, independence, and quality of life of individuals through a broad range of programs. Consistent with core principles and entrepreneurial spirit, JEVS Human Services creates innovative and sustainable solutions to address current and future community needs.