BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- With $1 million in federal funding, a major expansion is coming for a vital workforce training center in Brooklyn.
St. Nicks Alliance, a non-profit organization serving the borough, received the funds from Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez to relocate and significantly upgrade its Workforce Development Center.
For participants like Francisco Caraballo, the investment represents a lifeline of opportunity. Caraballo's journey with St. Nicks Alliance began at a low point after serving time at Rikers Island and facing homelessness. "I came out of Rikers coming here. I came from doing some time for different, various things," Caraballo recalled.
At St. Nicks, Caraballo found far more than just job training. The non-profit's holistic approach provided him with vital support during his most vulnerable moments. "Ever since I've been in this program, they've been helping me. I just came outta being homeless too. They helped me, assisted me through that," he said. "They made sure that I had everything I needed."
One of Caraballo's biggest achievements with St. Nicks' guidance was earning his GED, a pivotal milestone he once thought impossible. The dedicated staff broke down complex concepts, provided practice tests, and offered tireless encouragement, he says. "If it wasn't for them, scheduling the next test, I probably wouldn't have got it done," Caraballo admitted. "Sometimes you need that person or those people behind you to get that little push."
The $1 million in federal funds will allow St. Nicks Alliance to relocate its Workforce Development Center from its current North Brooklyn location to a new 6,426 square foot facility at the Throop Corners affordable housing project in Williamsburg's Broadway Triangle neighborhood.
"There is a great need right now for skilled workers, and there is a shortage," Congresswoman Velázquez said. "This is the way that we empower young people and give them a fighting chance."
The state-of-the-art space will include four classrooms, 32 workstations, three offices, three breakout rooms, a computer lab, and a conference room to accommodate more participants.
"This is a very exciting project for us," said Michael Radford, Executive Director of St. Nicks Alliance. "It will allow us to continue our work in a brand new space that is convenient to mass transit."
Radford emphasized that the expanded center will enable St. Nicks to increase its training capacity across adult education, skills development, job preparedness, internships, and direct job placement programs.
As St. Nicks prepares to open the new facility in January 2025, Caraballo is thrilled at the prospect of others receiving the same transformative opportunities that changed his life's trajectory.
"I'm definitely gonna go use the space, see it, try to be around it," he said. "From here it's just really keep it pushing one step at a time and I'll get the things that I wanna get done."
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