Becca Lanasa

At SJI we are deeply committed to empowering people to build careers by forming equitable partnerships that address structural racism to create a more impactful workforce system. Our vision is that every worker has a career that allows them, their family, and community to thrive. Partnerships and Career Pathways SJI offers individuals from under-invested communities career-start technical and performance skills training that leads to a career pathway in growing local industry sectors. We creatively align support services – such as career navigation, housing, childcare and transportation – to provide participants the best opportunity to complete their career journey and to secure and retain well-paying jobs. Individuals acquire the skills they need to advance out of poverty, while simultaneously meeting the needs of local businesses for a skilled workforce. Policy, Research and Evaluation Our team’s work complements our program efforts and allows us to achieve a far greater impact on low-income communities than we would be able to through program services alone. The overall objective of this work is to uncover and provide solutions to address the barriers that low-income individuals face in obtaining the education and jobs they need to advance out of poverty. Consulting and Technical Assistance The consulting team helps government, educational institutions, funders, workforce systems and providers to design, implement and fund more effective programs and services aimed at helping people access training, support and living-wage careers. SJI is the nation’s leading expert helping State and local governments and their provider partners operationalize and grow their SNAP E&T programs. SNAP E&T is a federal program supporting a flexible array of employment and training services and supports for individuals on SNAP (food assistance).