Innovating to Launch and Grow Leaders

Britepaths began piloting our first Workforce Development offering, Project BRIDGE, in 2011, and we have continued to refine our programming to best meet the needs of community members who are experiencing barriers to attaining and advancing in jobs that pay well and offer career growth.

Our current offerings include workshops and one-on-one job readiness coaching provided through the Financial Empowerment Center at South County, Network Up short-term career mentoring, and two I.T. training programs: AWS re/Start and Google IT Certification with CompTIA A+.

In the spring of 2023, we piloted a Leadmen Leadership training series with C.J. Coakley Co., Inc. of Fairfax, and the pilot was such a success that Coakley hired our team to support a second class this year. We plan to offer more in 2024.

Our Workforce Development Specialist Iris Woodard developed the curriculum in coordination with Coakley leadership, and Financial Empowerment Manager Martha Borowski developed and administered a personal finance and budgeting component.

Training topics include: What makes a good leader; building and creating a system for positive team work; communication; how to administer feedback so it’s received positively; motivating and influencing people and recognizing unconscious bias; performance management and evaluations; sexual harassment; and critical thinking in approaching problem solving. Our Financial Empowerment volunteers add instruction in personal finance topics, including financial health, insurance, using credit wisely and investing.

We are grateful to our staff members and volunteers who helped make this program a success! A special thank you to these volunteers: Spring cohort: Robbie Mosley, David Sears, Jessie Doll and Mitch Falter of ReFrame Wealth, and JJ Ortuno of Truist Bank; Summer cohort: Mark Lipari, Cheryl Urban of United Bank and Sarah Baker of Mason Investment Advisory Services, Inc.

Our Workforce Development program welcomes volunteers to work with our clients and local businesses interested in hiring clients or bringing our programming to their employees. Contact Sally Meyer at 703.704.6101 or contact us.

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The second graduating class of Britepaths' Leadmen Leadership Training series with C.J. Coakley Co. Construction of Fairfax
Our second cohort of C.J. Coakley Co. Leadmen Leadership Training Class graduated in July 2023. In the photo, the graduates display their certificates. Iris is at left and C.J. Coakley Co. Vice President Paul Gallagher is at right.
Graduates of Britepaths and FECSoCo Leadmen Leadership Class with C.J. Coakley Co. Construction
Our first cohort of Leadmen Leadership Training graduates in April 2023. In the photo, the graduates hold up their certificates. Workforce Development Specialist Iris Woodard is second from left, C.J. Coakley Co. Co-President Michael Coakley is fourth from left in back, and Superintendent Frank Cannon is in front of him in white.
Coakley Leadmen Leadership training February 17, 2023
In the first class for the first cohort, volunteer Robbie Mosley discussed leadership and what makes a good leader.
On July 14, Financial Empowerment volunteer Sarah Baker led a class for the second cohort on investing and saving. She was accompanied by four of her summer intern colleagues at Mason Investment Advisory Services, Inc., who shared their own experiences with investing and saving.
C.J. Coakley Co. Leadmen Leadership Training graduates from second class, July 2023