With a $165,000 grant, 18 formerly incarcerated individuals in Franklin and Hampshire counties will be able to participate in a training program with their respective sheriffs’ offices and Community Action Pioneer Valley to prepare them to re-enter the workforce.

The money comes through a $2.6 million Re-Entry Workforce Development grant through the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, as the agency targets the culinary, construction, manufacturing, hospitality and health care industries. Grant awards were announced by the Healey-Driscoll administration in New Bedford last week.

Here in the Pioneer Valley, Community Action will continue to partner with the Franklin and Hampshire counties sheriffs’ offices to prepare the 18 returning citizens in the culinary and manufacturing industries.

Nafeeza Castro, Community Action’s workforce development manager, said the program’s main focus is to provide supportive services – such as bus passes, work clothes or housing assistance – to folks and then enroll them into a training program, which will cover job skills and match trainees to a workplace.

“If you are hungry and you don’t have a place to shower or sleep, it’s difficult to roll over the next day and go to a training program,” Castro said. “It’s soft skills, hard skills and life skills wrapped into one. We’re able to meet them where they’re at.”

Edmond Hayes, assistant superintendent of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, said the money will fund a culinary arts program and a foundational manufacturing program.

“Manufacturing is a huge part of the Franklin County economy,” he said, adding that the sheriff’s office makes referrals to the program.

Hayes said participants will receive $50 per week and case management support. He said Community Action will help participants prepare for interviews and will also assist with job placement and retention.

“The reason the program exists is because there are so many obstacles for a recently incarcerated person to get gainful employment,” Hayes said. “We’re very appreciative to Community Action Pioneer Valley for applying for this funding.”

“We are grateful to the Healey-Driscoll administration for supporting the important re-entry work that is ongoing in western Mass. and we look forward to continuing to help the men in our care return to their families and communities as productive citizens,” Thomas Mitchell, public information officer for the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, said in an email to the Greenfield Recorder.

Training is done in a five- to seven-week period, followed by two to four weeks of on-the-job training.

Once complete, program graduates will be placed in line cook and production worker roles at High Brow, Local Burger, Herrell’s Ice Cream, Fitzwilly’s Restaurant and the Franklin County Community Development Corporation’s Food Processing Center.

At the Franklin County CDC’s Food Processing Center, Director of Operations Liz Buxton said the grant funding ensures the partnership between the two agencies can continue to thrive.

“The Western MA Food Processing Center at the Franklin County CDC is proud to continue collaborating with Community Action,” Buxton said, “and providing second-chance employment opportunities for people re-entering the workforce after incarceration.”

Community Action’s award was one of 11 granted by the state last week in a move that will potentially train 365 formerly incarcerated individuals. It was the only award west of Worcester, with most of the grants going to organizations in Boston and Dorchester.

“As an administration, we want to ensure individuals re-entering our communities gain relevant skills and experiences to thrive in today’s workforce,” said Gov. Maura Healey. “The partnerships reflected in each of these grants with public safety, employers and workforce training organizations are opening doors for individuals deserving of a second chance and an opportunity to pursue career pathways right here in Massachusetts.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com. Domenic Poli can be reached at: dpoli@recorder.com.