Utah Community Action Program Expanding Workforce Development Initiatives Thanks to $300,000 Grant from KeyBank

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, April 12, 2024 /3BL/ — Utah Community Action (UCA) has received a grant from KeyBank for $300,000 in support of the expansion of its workforce development program, which offers training and credentials to help low-income individuals increase wages, benefits, job retention and further their career opportunities.

Founded in 1965, UCA is one of over 1,100 community action agencies across the country providing low- and moderate-income families with comprehensive services to lift people out of poverty. One of UCA’s programs is Workforce Development, designed to increase skills and employability for lower-income community members. The grant from KeyBank will help to expand the current program to include innovative workforce solutions which may include custodial work and various trades, such as HVAC technicians, electricians, plumbers, and other contracted expertise that remains in short supply in Utah. The current Workforce Development Program offers culinary and child development credentialing.

“We have seen the increased need to support and provide workforce development and other essential life skills to disadvantaged adults in our community,” said Drew Yergensen, president of KeyBank’s Utah market. “This grant will help to equip more young adults in our community with the confidence, skills and training needed to navigate the workplace and manage their household budgets.”

“Utah Community Action is grateful for our trust-based partnership with KeyBank. Their investment will foster innovative approaches to workforce development that truly meet the needs of individuals, our agency and the community through tailored supports that increase job readiness. KeyBank’s long-term investment in this program highlights their commitment to making a meaningful impact over time,” said J. Janell Cerva, Chief Impact and Strategy Officer at Utah Community Action. 

Through the administration of six complimentary programs, UCA provided services to approximately 50,000 Utahns in 2023. The programs include Workforce Development, Head Start Preschool, Housing & Case Management, HEAT utility assistance, Nutrition, and home Weatherization.

About Utah Community Action Program 
Utah Community Action has been supporting the local community for 60 years, with the mission of empowering individuals, strengthening families, and building communities through education and self-reliance programs. Through our six core programs – Workforce Development, Head Start Preschool, HEAT utility assistance, Housing & Case Management, home Weatherization, and Nutrition – UCA meets the needs of the community, especially individuals struggling with poverty. Each client receives holistic case management and wrap around supports to help them obtain and sustain self-reliance. 

About KeyCorp 
KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $188 billion at December 31, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.