YMCA Training, Inc.'s Third Annual Partnership Recognition Breakfast To Be Held March 24th in Boston.

BOSTON -- Charles D. Baker, CEO and President of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inc., to Keynote And Help Further the Organization's Mission of Helping Low-Income Adults Find and Keep Jobs

YMCA Training, Inc. (www.traininginc.org) today announced its third annual Partnership Recognition Breakfast, taking place March 24 from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Boston Harbor Hotel in Boston. Partially funded by the federal government and through corporate donations, YMCA Training, Inc. has provided low-income adults with the skills necessary to obtain living wage employment with many of Boston's top companies for more than twenty years. Training, Inc. graduates enter the workplace with solid skills as they undergo a rigorous four-month training course in computer and business skills.

Keynoting at the event will be Charles D. Baker, CEO and President of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Inc. (HPHC). "Training Inc. is a great resource for Boston area employers," said Baker. "The Harvard Pilgrim employees who have participated in Training Inc.'s English @ Work program are an essential component to the HPHC culture and our success, helping us to achieve recognition as the number one place to work. Both the employees and Harvard Pilgrim have greatly benefited from this robust curriculum."

Since 2004, HPHC has offered the English @ Work program, which was created out of a need to improve English communication in the workplace. HPHC teamed up with YMCA Training, Inc. to design and implement an English course that met the learning goals of interested HPHC employees.

By partnering with local corporations like HPHC who hire the graduates, Training, Inc. has greatly increased the likelihood of low-income adults finding employment. Employers collaborate with Training, Inc. staff to design and evaluate curriculum, allow their employees to volunteer, provide unpaid internship opportunities, and hire graduates who become long-term employees contributing to their organizations. Many employers have worked with Training, Inc. for twenty years.

"Thousands of individuals in Boston have lost their jobs and need to develop new skills to secure employment in the greater Boston area, and take care of their families. Through partnerships with employers, Training, Inc. can deliver effective skills training so that graduates can land better jobs with great employers and significantly improve their lives," said Elsa Bengel, vice president and executive director, YMCA Training, Inc.

"I was really struggling to make ends meet, as I had a two-year old son and was trying to find work. YMCA Training, Inc. became the light at the end of tunnel. The program taught me how to be a better professional while juggling work and family priorities. Joining this program was one of the best decisions I have made in my life," said Digna Sanchez, who graduated from the program in November 2005 and now works as a business office assistant at the Italian Home for Children.

Why is Training, Inc. so important now to the Bay State?

Public funding only covers two thirds of the cost for the services Training, Inc. provides. Recent studies indicate that Massachusetts is one of the most expensive places to live in the country. The Bay State's job training has been cut by 50% since 2003 for parents receiving public assistance. Massachusetts is also losing people at an alarming rate. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Massachusetts is the only state with a decrease in population between 2003 and 2004.

Consider these facts:

--In 2005, YMCA Training, Inc. graduates earned and spent over $70,000,000 and will pay about $17,000,000 in taxes.

--Over 3,300 men and women have graduated since 1984, and most found full-time employment with over 200 local employers.

--Over 80% of graduates find full-time jobs, 90% of which include health insurance benefits. 90% of graduates are still working after one year.

--Training, Inc. estimates that it has saved local employers about $6 million in turnover and training costs.

Corporate sponsors to date include John Leonard Employment Services, Inc., Anglo Irish Bank, Bingham McCutchen, Adecco, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Boston Medical Center, Dwyer Collora, Hollister, Lincoln Property Company, Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, MBHP, Sovereign Bank, Stop and Shop, Tufts-New England Medical Center, and Wainwright Bank; among others.

For more information about becoming a corporate sponsor, please contact Elsa Bengel at [e-mail] or call [phone], ext. 31.

About YMCA Training, Inc.

Training, Inc. (www.traininginc.org), a national nonprofit organization, provides low-income individuals with job skills training to help them obtain living-wage employment. The organization's curriculum offers a combination of technical training, soft skill development, and ongoing support that trainees need to find and retain good jobs.

Programs provide participants with skills to enter careers with good growth potential, including computer and medical office skills, and Web development. By moving people off public assistance and on to self-sufficiency, Training, Inc. program benefits the government, taxpayers, and the families of its graduates.

For more information, visit Training, Inc. online at www.traininginc.org.

About HPHC

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care is the #1 health plan in America, according to a joint ranking by U.S. News & World Report and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The October 10, 2005 edition of U.S. News & World Report ranks, for the first time, the nation's best health plans and determined that Harvard Pilgrim leads the country for member satisfaction and quality of care. J.D. Power and Associates has also recognized Harvard Pilgrim as a Distinguished Health Plan for providing "An Outstanding Member Experience" to its HMO members in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Harvard Pilgrim is the first health plan to achieve this distinction for HMO members in all three states. The PPO plan offered by Harvard Pilgrim in Massachusetts has also been recognized for its commitment to excellence by the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Health Plan Program. Harvard Pilgrim is a not-for-profit health plan with more than 925,000 members and a network of more than 22,000 doctors and 130 hospitals. Harvard Pilgrim provides innovative approaches to health improvement and disease management, unique online tools that speed and simplify key transactions for employers and providers and personalized health support at www.harvardpilgrim.org.