Skills for Rhode Island's Future | Jobs in Rhode Island

SkillsRI offers job search support, career enhancement services, and free training program opportunities to unemployed and underemployed Rhode Island residents.

Cargill Virtual Hiring Event – MLK Center

Employees at Cargill are helping the world thrive!

Join one of the largest food processing operations in the US right here in Rhode Island.

SkillsRI welcomes members of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center to apply for immediate job openings with Cargill in N. Kingstown, RI.

Focus on Workplace Safety

PPE, training and equipment/apparel provided

Compensation and Pay Equity

Equitable Opportunities for Every Employee to Succeed

Rapid On-Boarding Process

Interview on a Friday, potential to start as soon as Monday!

Earn $14 - $19 per hour

Depending on shift and role

$1,200 sign on bonus

$600 at 30 days and $600 at 60 days of employment

About Cargill

Cargill is a state-of-the-art protein production facility, located in North Kingstown. Cargill has been operating for 150 years, and is focused on nourishing families across the world in a responsible and sustainable way.

Cargill Virtual Hiring Event – Kingstown Crossings

Employees at Cargill are helping the world thrive!

Join one of the largest food processing operations in the US right here in Rhode Island.

SkillsRI welcomes members of the Kingstown Crossings community to apply for immediate job openings with Cargill in N. Kingstown, RI.

Focus on Workplace Safety

PPE, training and equipment/apparel provided

Compensation and Pay Equity

Equitable Opportunities for Every Employee to Succeed

Rapid On-Boarding Process

Interview on a Friday, potential to start as soon as Monday!

Earn $14 - $19 per hour

Depending on shift and role

$1,200 sign on bonus

$600 at 30 days and $600 at 60 days of employment

About Cargill

Cargill is a state-of-the-art protein production facility, located in North Kingstown. Cargill has been operating for 150 years, and is focused on nourishing families across the world in a responsible and sustainable way.

Dana L. – Skills Stories

“Knowing someone is advocating for you during your job search can make a world of difference. I was lucky to have two advocates: Duncan and Kelly at SkillsRI.

Over the past 25 years, my pattern of employment hasn’t been easy, and I had a lot of factors going against me. My father passed away, my mother has been ill, and I’ve been caring for a disabled family member. In addition, I was in recovery for drug addiction, and I had a variety of dead-end jobs with no hope for a future. I wanted to go back to school to pave a better path for my career, but it wasn’t easy. I was put in touch with Duncan at SkillRI, and he was instrumental in getting me into the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association Program, where I earned my composite technician pre-apprentice certificate from CCRI. It is an achievement that makes me incredibly proud.

After receiving my certification, Kelly, a recruiter at SkillsRI, kept in touch with me, checking in to see if I had found a job and presenting new opportunities that were a good fit based on my credentials. With her continued support and encouragement, I was able to find a job as a Composite Technician at Goetz Composites, where I can carve out a future for myself. I know people who been placed at Goetz through SkillsRI and are now VPs and supervisors at the company. I’ve been working here for a month, and I love what I do. I wake up every morning with a positive outlook and with hope for a brighter future. SkillsRI gave me that hope, and I’m thankful to be able to do something that I know will make my son proud.”

Dana L.
Composite Technician, Goetz Composites

Looking to kickstart or advance your career? Click here to view available opportunities on the SkillsRI Back to Work job board.

SkillsRI Awarded $100K Grant by Microsoft

SkillsRI has been awarded a $100K grant by Microsoft to close the skills gap and upskill Rhode Islanders in the COVID-19 digital economy.

The grant will be used to provide access to free, digital learning courses across LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn and GitHub as part of SkillsRI’s online education hub, Skills Academy, with the goal of helping people acquire the necessary skills to successfully navigate in-demand career paths.

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future (SkillsRI)—a nonprofit organization that connects unemployed and underemployed Rhode Islanders to job opportunities and sustainable career pathways—today announced $100K in grant funding from Microsoft. The funding will be used to expand access to digital skills-based learning resources through SkillsRI’s new online learning hub, Skills Academy, and help people who have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 related job losses navigate a career path to an in-demand role.

The funding is part of Microsoft’s worldwide initiative to help 25 million people acquire the digital skills needed to be successful in the digital economy as well as Governor Gina Raimondo’s recently-announced workforce development initiative for Rhode Islanders displaced by COVID-19.

“The workforce is in a massive period of digital transformation” said Nina Pande, Executive Director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future. “COVID-19 has drastically impacted employment rates, and as we help get Rhode Islanders back to work, ensuring they have the digital skills that are quickly becoming the foundation of almost every in-demand job is critical. Our partnership with Microsoft will enable us to continue combatting employment barriers for marginalized communities and help people acquire the skills needed to build sustainable careers that support strong economic mobility and will lead to a more inclusive workforce.”

Leveraging global employment data, Microsoft identified the 10 most in-demand jobs in today’s economy, developing free learning pathways for people to take courses and earn a certification that maps back to these roles.  Learning pathways are available for the following career paths:

  • Software developer
  • Sales development representative
  • Project manager
  • Customer service specialist
  • Digital marketing specialist
  • IT support / Help desk technician
  • IT network administrator
  • Data analyst
  • Financial analyst
  • Graphic designer

In addition to the 10 learning pathways, Microsoft will also be offering two digital literacy courses that will serve as optional precursors to the pathways. Topics for these courses include “working with computers to create opportunity” and “working and collaborating online.”

“At Microsoft, we’re bringing every part of our company together to help Americans acquire the skills they need to fill 21st century jobs,” says Naria Santa Lucia, general manager of digital inclusion at Microsoft Philanthropies. “We’re excited to partner with the Skills for Rhode Island’s Future to utilize resources from Microsoft and LinkedIn to help people acquire the skills needed for in-demand jobs, helping Rhode Islanders get back to work.”

The 10 learning pathways and two digital literacy courses are available for free in English and Spanish starting today on Skills Academy, SkillsRI’s learning hub offering online courses, employer-sponsored training programs and workshops dedicated to upskilling Rhode Islanders and providing them with access to meaningful employment opportunities and upward economic mobility. Skills Academy users will have access to a career coach and those eligible for SkillsRI services will receive job placement support following the completion of their courses.

For more information and to get started today, visit academy.skillsforri.com.
To connect with a SkillsRI career coach today, email skillslearning@skillsforri.com.

2020 In Review: Skills for Rhode Island’s Future’s Impact

2020 has been an unprecedented year that has challenged every Rhode Islander. However, our challenges today will not prevent us from working towards opportunities for tomorrow.

We’re proud to have worked with the State of Rhode Island as well as hundreds of different employers, organizations, community partners and candidates to create a better tomorrow.

In 2020, our impact went further than our highest expectations…

Helping Rhode Islanders Get Back to Work

Partnering with the Department of Labor & Training, we launched a Back to Work portal where active job seekers could find immediate job and training opportunities and employers from around the State were able to post their open positions.

“I found SkillsRI on Facebook and decided to take a leap of faith. My recruiter, Carolyn, was incredible. She listened to my concerns and needs, and she gave me the ease and confidence to feel like I could move on from my previous job and that I had options to create a better life for myself. ”

-Cheri W., AAA Northeast

Over 475 High School & College Students Complete Rhode Island's COVID-19 Innovation Challenge

SkillsRI conceptualized, designed and launched an entirely reimagined high school summer internship program for 2020, the seven-week COVID-19 Innovation Challenge. Over $100,000 in scholarship dollars were awarded!

Rida J, PrepareRI High School Internship Program

“PrepareRI has really helped me develop skills that I don't get to develop at school. Working with a team and managing a corporation as the CEO was an incredible learning experience in terms of leadership and teamwork. I have also built amazing relationships with my co-workers, mentors, and supervisors…”

Jackson K., PrepareRI COVID-19 Innovation Challenge

"For me the Internship was a beautiful blend of work experience through exposure to real corporations and real problems and of character development though mentorships, reflection, and daily seminars in everything from "Failing Forwards" to Creativity. PrepareRI is so much more than just a summer job, it's a program that gives you skills and tools to forge a better future…"

SkillsRI Continued Breaking Down Barriers to Economic Opportunity

Average Wage Grows to $17.85/hr

Our agency is driven by a vision of Rhode Island where every individual has the opportunity to obtain economic mobility through meaningful employment, and in turn transform his or her life. 

We are proud to share that through our hiring and training partners, the average wage of a candidate who was placed through Skills for Rhode Island’s Future was $17.85/ hour. While there’s more work to be done, we’re trending in the right direction.

“Take that big leap and you never know what’s there until you try. It might be a little scary at first but once you get out there and you realize there’s other stuff it’s amazing for your future growth.”

– Lacey C., TTEC

Over 1,000 Shifts Worked Through SkillsRI's Congregate Care Dispatch/Staffing Program

Over 1,000 shifts have been claimed in the SkillsRI dispatching/staffing program, offering congregate care facilities the support they need and providing Rhode Island healthcare heroes the increased wages they deserve.

We are proud to share that through our hiring and training partners, the average wage of a candidate who was placed through Skills for Rhode Island’s Future was $17.85/ hour. While there’s more work to be done, we’re trending in the right direction.

“For anyone seeking the tools needed to successfully navigate today’s job market, this workshop does that and more! The speakers are engaging, caring, and highly skilled at their craft. The content is cutting edge and the group participation invaluable.”

– Gerard “Jerry” Noel, Ready.Set.Work! Training Program

SkillsRI & Honeywell Partner to Train & Employ Hundreds for N95 Mask Production

Major manufacturer Honeywell ramped up production of critically needed N95 Masks in their Smithfield, RI production facility.

SkillsRI partnered with Honeywell throughout the year, connecting 191 candidates for direct hire opportunities, as well as piloting a train-to-hire opportunity with ESL classes for Spanish-speaking individuals.

“I moved to the US from Nigeria in 2019, and I was home without a job when COVID-19 hit. While watching TV one day, I heard Governor Gina Raimondo asking for people to come out and help make N95 face masks for healthcare workers, and I decided I wanted to make an impact. I contacted SkillRI to become a volunteer, and within a week, they emailed me to let me know I could work at Honeywell making masks, and I could get paid to do it! ”

– Funmilayo O., Honeywell

Milestone Reached: Over 10,000 Candidates Have Received SkillsRI Career Enhancement Services

SkillsRI celebrated the 10,000th candidate to have received career enhancement services, a critical step to supporting candidates. We’re deeply honored to have the opportunity to work with each and every individual who comes through SkillsRI.

“Knowing someone is advocating for you during your job search can make a world of difference.”

– Dana L., SkillsRI Candidate

SkillsRI & Partners Help Launch Major Statewide Diversity and Disabilities Hiring Initiative

Partnering with three Rhode Island adult service provider agencies (Perspective’s Corporation, AccessPointRI and Trudeau Center), SkillsRI supported the launch of PCSEPP (Person Centered Supported Employment Performance Program) grant provided by BHDDH (Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals). The statewide initiative seeks to increase access to work opportunities for Rhode Islanders with intellectual/developmental disabilities participating in the program.

“This was a valuable and rewarding experience for me because I was helping people from my community as well as contributing in a positive way for our state during this difficult time.”

– Ilsa M., PrepareRI College Internship Program

SkillsRI Welcomed Over 100 Candidates Into an Emergency Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training Program

In partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Health, SkillsRI enrolled over 100 individuals into a free, accelerated CNA training program to help alleviate pressure on healthcare workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The SkillsRI staff guided me through every step of the process, and they truly cared about seeing me succeed. With the help of the SkillsRI team, I’m now on a path to a better future in the career path of my dreams, and I get to make a difference in my home state.”

– Oricel M., Accelerated CNA Training Program

Over 175 Rhode Islanders Participate in SkillsRI's Temporary Staffing Program

Collaborating with the Department of Labor and Training, in April SkillsRI introduced a temporary staffing initiative aimed at providing increased wages of $18 to $23 per hour for Rhode Islanders displaced from their jobs due to COVID-19.

Over 175 individuals participated in the staffing program, providing critical inspectors, screeners, substitute teachers and more across Rhode Island.

Thank you for being a valuable member of the SkillsRI community. The SkillsRI team wishes you health and happiness in the new year.

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