FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Fresno County leaders announced an expansion of the New Employment Opportunities (NEO) program, aimed at helping CalWORKs recipients find jobs and assisting employers with employee screenings and training.

The program, which has already generated over 2,700 job placements, provides training, hiring and job placement support to individuals receiving temporary financial assistance from the state.

“Access to training, access to transportation, access to childcare, there’s many supports that our department provides in getting an individual ready for employment,” Sanja Bugay, Fresno County Director of Social Services, said.

“It isn’t just that initial help and subsidy to the employers, but the fact that individuals and their families then find actual permanent jobs and sustain them that leads them to a path of self-sufficiency,” Bugay said.

The Employment Development Corporation (EDC) partners with the county to connect job-ready individuals with employers, offering wage reimbursements to offset training costs.

“It helps reduce risk,” Will Oliver, president and CEO of the Fresno County EDC, said. “It provides working capital to employers.”

Oliver said that the EDC has worked with 445 businesses in using this program.

Through this partnership, between DSS and EDC, the program has reimbursed over $24 million in wage reimbursements.

The unemployment rate in Fresno County stands at 8.1%, nearly double the national average of 4.4%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Steve Ruiz, a NEO participant, struggled to find a job until he reached out to the program.

“I was unemployed…I was just kind of lost,” Ruiz said. “I wasn’t really finding anything.”

Now, Ruiz is a supervisor for Neighborhood Thrift.

“It’s put my family in a better place,” Ruiz said. “I’m able to pay bills, I’m able to take small vacations here now.”

The county expects to create another 750 job placements in the next five years and is encouraging employers to reach out if they are looking for new hires.

To learn more about this program, click HERE.