KeyBank Foundation Invests $300,000 in Workforce Training Program at ABC, Inc. Rochester

The KeyBank Foundation is investing $300,000 in a new workforce training program at Action for a Better Community (ABC), Inc. in Rochester. The Energy Conservation Training Program prepares workers for careers in home weatherization, home repair/maintenance and installation of energy conservation measures.

“This innovative program not only provides workers with opportunities and knowledge in a growing field, it also supports homeowners by making homeownership sustainable, energy-efficient, and more affordable,” said Vince Lecce, KeyBank Rochester Market President. “We are proud to support ABC’s work that changes people's lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes Rochester a better place to live.”

“ABC’s strategic framework includes building and maintaining meaningful partnerships with entities that share our values, ethos, and strategic priorities,” said Jerome H. Underwood, President & CEO if ABC, Inc. in Rochester. “We have been developing just this type of relationship with KeyBank and the KeyBank Foundation over the past few years. There is significant alignment in our respective goals and objectives. We are appreciative of their investment in ABC’s Energy Conservation Program as we do believe that this initiative will change the trajectory of the participants’ lives.”

Workers in the Energy Conservation Training Program divide their time between classroom instruction and hands-on learning in the field – with all program hours serving as paid employment. The project benefits participants directly by providing them with nationally certified energy conservation skills in a high-demand occupation. These skills can serve as the basis for careers in the building trades or in “green housing” retrofitting occupations. The program also benefits property owners looking to improve home living conditions, reduce energy costs and extend the life of existing housing stock. 

In addition, the program impacts the broader community by employing individuals in the neighborhoods in which they live, boosting investment in economically challenged neighborhoods. More broadly, because the participants and neighborhoods to be served are disproportionately people of color/predominantly neighborhoods of color, the program advances racial equity in the greater Rochester area.

Participants will not only learn the job skills required to obtain and maintain employment, they will also be supported in navigating the challenges of the workplace as well as other day-to-day challenges that can make it difficult to maintain employment, such as housing, food, child care and transportation.

“The Energy Conservation Training Program addresses two issues in Rochester – workforce development and sustainable homeownership,” said Chiwuike Owunwanne, KeyBank Rochester Corporate Responsibility Officer. “We applaud ABC’s holistic work and align with their mission of promoting and providing opportunities for low-income individuals and families to become self-sufficient.”

Since 2017, KeyBank has made more than $1 billion in investments in the Rochester market, supporting affordable housing and community development projects; small business and home lending to low-to-moderate income individuals and communities, and transformative philanthropy.

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