CRANSTON, R.I. –The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) is rolling out a new platform to help jobseekers navigate employment resources as part of the Back to Work RI initiative. Developed by Fidelity and The Partnership for Rhode Island, the platform is aimed at assisting jobseekers and Rhode Island workers who have been impacted by the pandemic and the resulting economic crisis. The website, RI Navigator, is available here.
"I'm grateful to Fidelity and the Partnership for Rhode Island for stepping up and creating this important resource for jobseekers," said Governor Gina Raimondo. "It's great to see the private sector doing their part to hire and train Rhode Islanders through Back to Work RI. This free website will help Rhode Islanders find and access tools to support their job search."
"With Back to Work RI, it's not enough to just offer training," said Scott Jensen, DLT Director. "Barriers to employment have left many Rhode Islanders out of our economy, so we are grateful to Fidelity and the Partnership for Rhode Island for creating this new platform to connect people with the resources and support they need to succeed in these opportunities."
RI Navigator provides resources for jobseekers to learn new skills, explore career options, and prepare for a job. The platform also allows jobseekers to find and connect to supportive services around barriers to employment. Additionally, jobseekers have the option of talking directly with a career guide through the RI Reconnect initiative of the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner to get one-on-one counseling and support on educational and vocational options.
"In the face of the current pandemic, Fidelity Investments made a number of changes to its traditional Fidelity Cares volunteer program to accommodate for remote team work in order to continue our mission to give back to the communities where we live and work," said Rick Metters, Vice President, Government Relations and Public Affairs, Fidelity Investments. "As a leading technology employer in the state, we knew we could leverage the talents and experience of our technologists to help the DLT reach the citizens of Rhode Island to help connect them to job-related resources and opportunities at this critical time."
Fidelity developed the platform for DLT pro bono. The Partnership for Rhode Island, a member organization made up of 13 chief executives representing many of the state's largest private employers, covered nominal administrative fees.
Back to Work RI is the first-of-its-kind workforce development initiative designed to get thousands of Rhode Islanders back to work in the aftermath of COVID-19. Through the Governor's efforts, some of Rhode Island's and the nation's biggest employers have signed on to participate in the Back to Work initiative and have pledged to open opportunities to Rhode Islanders through the public-private partnership of Back to Work RI.
"Getting Rhode Islanders back to work is essential to our recovery and vital to ensure that people have the financial security to keep healthy," said Partnership for Rhode Island Executive Director Tom Giordano. "Fidelity's commitment to provide this dynamic portal to support jobseekers will go a long way to help folks get back on their feet. We'll continue to do everything we can to support the Back to Work RI initiative and will work every day to ensure that Rhode Island comes out of this crisis stronger and more resilient than before."
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