New workforce training initiative planned for Bridgeport

Career Resources Inc. (CRI), a workforce development nonprofit, has announced plans to launch The Bridge on Main, an initiative designed to provide job training and placement services for individuals returning to the workforce.

The Bridge on Main will be located in the long vacant 1085 Main St. building in downtown Bridgeport, with a scheduled launch of mid-2024. The site will be staffed by over 140 full- and part-time individuals, and CRI is working to create a housing annex in Bridgeport for those in need of shelter while receiving job training services.

As part of this initiative CRI announced an exclusive partnership with Webster Bank (NYSE:WBS) to offer banking products and services specifically tailored for the most vulnerable populations of the city. Webster Bank has committed $750,000 to The Bridge on Main project through its Community Investment Strategy program, and the initiative also has the support of
philanthropist Mimi Sternlicht.

“We are committed to Bridgeport”™s community and believe in the promise of its most often overlooked population,” says Scott Wilderman, CEO and president of CRI. “The Bridge on Main will utilize an integrated service model, offering a holistic scope of services provided by highly reputable community partners who have joined this collaborative as program partners and tenants to ensure a full scope of program delivery and opportunities be available at all times and in one location.”