Lincoln Foundation Supports Workforce Education
More Than $90,000 in Economic and Workforce Development Grants Awarded

Hartford, CT, December 17, 2012 - Grants from Lincoln Financial Foundation are supporting Hartford agencies that advance adult literacy, prepare low-income individuals for the job market and provide financial literacy training. Lincoln Foundation recently awarded $92,100 in economic and workforce development grants to five local nonprofit organizations, a portion of almost $804,000 in charitable funds that Lincoln Foundation has allocated for the city in 2012.

A $24,000 grant to Billings Forge Community Works will fund both basic and advanced training in culinary arts. Ten to 40 individuals will participate in basic training, which covers a broad range of food preparation, knife skills, sanitation and food safety. The final course exam is the ServSafe food handler exam, which is widely recognized in the industry and increases employability. Advanced training will be provided to six-to-eight students who will receive on-the-job training to prepare them for work in fine dining establishments. The program emphasizes real-world experience and delivers graduates who come to work on time and understand the realities of a working kitchen. Trainees also gain important customer service experience that is highly transferable to other industries.

Other economic and workforce development grants awarded include:
Adult Education

  • $20,000 to Center for Urban Research Education and Training for Adult Literacy and Numeracy to Employment, a workforce education program that provides computer training and individual case management to adults, focusing on the West Indian population, helping them improve their reading, writing, communication and math skills.
  • $20,000 to Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford for EdTech, a program that uses technology-based instruction to provide individualized, self-paced, repetitive presentation of study materials which help low-literate adults retain the skills needed in today's job market.
  • $10,000 to Jubilee House for its Esperanza Academic program, which provides computer training, math tutoring, English conversation and public speaking instruction in a small-class setting to low-income women, those with disabilities and individuals coming out of incarceration.

Workforce Development

  • $18,100 to Knox Parks Foundation for the AmeriCorps Green Crew, a program that gives underserved youth marketable green job skills in commercial landscaping and horticulture as well as life skills training, career planning, GED training and job placement, all combined with a community service component.

About Lincoln Financial Foundation
The Lincoln Financial Foundation, established in 1962, is a nonprofit organization formed and supported by Lincoln Financial Group. Under Lincoln Foundation guidelines, grants are made in the areas of arts, education, human services and economic/workforce development. The Lincoln Foundation awarded more than $2.5 million to support nonprofits in the greater Fort Wayne area in 2011. Since 1962, the Lincoln Foundation has contributed over $89 million to Fort Wayne nonprofits.

About Lincoln Financial Group
Lincoln Financial Group has set aside almost $10 million of its pre-tax earnings for charitable causes that support philanthropic endeavors in the communities where its employees work. Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. With headquarters in the Philadelphia region, the companies of Lincoln Financial Group had assets under management of $174 billion as of September 30, 2012. Through its affiliated companies, Lincoln Financial Group offers: annuities; life, group life, disability and dental insurance; 401(k) and 403(b) plans; savings plans; and comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. For more information, including a copy of our most recent SEC reports containing our balance sheets, please visit www.LincolnFinancial.com.



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