The mission of the Office of Economic Opportunity is to expand opportunities for the City’s low-income and unemployed residents to gain the skills and credentials needed to succeed in the 21st Century economy, reduce income inequality, and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty in the City of Providence. Our mission is realized through the intentional and strategic deployment of comprehensive employment services, skills training, workforce development, small business capacity building and technical assistance, entrepreneurship support, and youth programs targeting low-income persons and economically distressed neighborhoods to support economic growth, improve quality of life, and strengthen communities and neighborhoods.
Workforce Solutions
Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston strive to build an integrated workforce development system that responds to the needs of employers for skilled workers. This enables jobseekers looking for new or expanded employment opportunities through comprehensive employment services to support economic growth, improve quality of life, and strengthen communities and neighborhoods.
First Source
First Source is a program that connects job seekers and employers in the City of Providence. We are committed to finding job-ready Providence residents and placing them into open positions with First Source employers. If you live in Providence and are out of work or underemployed, we can assist in helping you with your next career.
PVD Self-Employment Program
The Office of Economic Opportunity, in partnership with the Center for Women and Enterprise and the Division of Community Development, has created a Self-Employment Program for currently unemployed and under-employed Providence residents who are interested in starting their own businesses.
PVD HealthWorks
PVD HealthWorks is the City’s specialized healthcare and social assistance workforce development partnership that will create training pipelines, career pathways, and other workforce solutions for individuals interested in accessing careers in the healthcare and social assistance industry.
Minority and Women-Owned Business (M/WBE) Procurement Program
The City of Providence’s Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Program connects certified businesses with opportunities to sell their products and services to City of Providence departments. Mayor Jorge Elorza’s goal is to promote fairness and equity in the City’s procurement process in order to increase M/WBE’s participation and support economic prosperity for minority and women-owned businesses throughout the City.
Minority- and women-owned businesses interested in participating in the MBE/WBE program must be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by a minority or woman and be certified by the State’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Opportunity.
For more information on this program please contact Grace Diaz the MBE/WBE Outreach Director for the City of Providence, by phone at (401) 680-5766 or by email at .
