Joseph Navarro, a machine operator at Pleasant Mattress, spoke at a news conference on Jan. 20, 2026, about how the New Employment Opportunities program not only helped him land a full-time job but also gave him a meaningful opportunity to change his life. Photo by Frank Lopez
published on January 20, 2026 – 4:29 PM
Written by Frank Lopez
A new agreement between Fresno County and the Fresno County Economic Development Corp. will continue and expand efforts to connect public assistance recipients with jobs and job training through the New Employment Opportunities (NEO) subsidized employment program.
Local elected officials and business leaders gathered Tuesday at Pleasant Mattress in Fresno to announce the county’s new contract with EDC, which provides up to $5.06 million to support the program through June 2028, with options to extend the agreement through 2030.
The new agreement replaces the old $15 million master agreement structure with a smaller, more flexible contract centered on EDC’s Ready2Hire platform and direct employer management.
The NEO program connects participants in CalWORKs — the state’s welfare-to-work program — with full-time jobs by subsidizing their wages while they gain work experience and skills training.
County officials said the new agreement continues a long-running partnership with EDC but streamlines how the program is administered and expands outreach to employers through EDC’s Ready2Hire platform.
The program is expected to connect more than 750 Fresno County residents with job training and employment opportunities over the next five years.
Pleasant Mattress, a longtime program partner, has hired more than 32 participants through the program.
One of those participants, Joseph Navarro, now a machine operator at Pleasant Mattress, said the program not only helped him land a full-time job but gave him a meaningful opportunity to change his life.
“I’d like to thank the NEO program for opening doors and giving people a chance at making a better life instead of just struggling,” Navarro said. “If you’re going to get into the NEO program, put your best foot forward and put your time and effort into it.”
Speakers at the press event included Fresno County Supervisors Buddy Mendes, Luis Chavez and Brian Pacheco, EDC President and CEO Will Oliver, Department of Social Services Director Sanja Bugay, and Pleasant Mattress President Rion Morgenstern.
“I want to acknowledge the private sector folks,” Chavez said. “This has really been a public-private partnership that has been great for our community.”
Since its inception more than a decade ago, the NEO program has placed more than 2,700 people into jobs, paid out $23.5 million in wages, and partnered with more than 450 businesses, Oliver said.
Bugay said a pool of about 11,000 adults on cash aid are eligible to participate in Fresno County. Adults are eligible for CalWORKs benefits for a total of five years.
Oliver said the program is unique because it works on both sides of the local economy — helping CalWORKs participants build career pathways while giving businesses a financial incentive to hire and train new workers.
“We are promoting Fresno County to prospective employers and working with local companies on their expansion or retention needs,” Oliver said. “This is a meaningful incentive to advantage our CalWORKs enrollees while also filling needed job opportunities for our businesses.”
Under the agreement, EDC markets employment-ready CalWORKs participants to local companies, maintains the Ready2Hire job-matching website, coordinates industry-aligned training courses and serves as the liaison between the county and participating employers.
Employers who participate in the program receive 100% wage reimbursement for the first 13 weeks a worker is employed, 75% reimbursement for weeks 14 through 26, and may apply for up to two additional extensions.
The first extension provides 50% reimbursement for weeks 27 through 39, and the second provides 25% reimbursement for weeks 40 through 52, on condition that the employees receiving additional job training.
The goal, program officials say, is for workers to remain permanently employed after the subsidy period ends — either with the original employer or others.
Other participating employers include Avakian Insurance Services, Neighborhood Industries, Tyson Energy Solutions, HandsOn Central California and Trinity Construction Enterprises.
Morgernstern said the company believes in better health and better lives for its customers, employees, communities and shareholders.
“At the very core of what we are trying to do besides making mattresses is build community and make people better. The NEO program gives us an opportunity to do that—to take people who have had some rough shakes and help them help themselves get on the road to recovery,” he said.