PeopleFirst Pathways helps employers build stronger, more stable teams by addressing the everyday challenges that affect work.
Our human and technology-driven resource navigation model connects employees to the support they need: childcare, housing, transportation, and more. This model reduces turnover and absenteeism while improving well-being, loyalty, and productivity.
Drawing on proven national models and Ascentria’s decades of community-based expertise, we’re piloting a new approach that blends trusted human resource navigation with technology-driven insights.
As an internal startup, PeopleFirst Pathways is being co-built with frontline employees whose lived experience shapes the model, alongside mission-driven employers and social-service partners.
Frontline and essential workers face real-life challenges that traditional HR and EAP programs weren’t designed to solve.
These barriers lead to high turnover, absenteeism, and burnout, costing employers millions each year.
For workers, the toll is even greater: lost income, mounting stress, and growing instability that affect their families and their futures.
PeopleFirst Pathways combines the best of human support and smart technology to make it simple and trustworthy for employees to access help when they need it most.
Think of PeopleFirst as a “TurboTax for employee supports,” making it easy to navigate a complex system of resources with the human touch that builds trust and confidence.
Our early partners include a wide range of Central Massachusetts employers eager to pilot innovative, scalable solutions that strengthen their workforce and elevate employee well-being. By piloting with us, you will:
PeopleFirst Pathways is building a network of trusted partners, organizations with deep expertise in meeting essential needs like childcare, housing, transportation, legal services, and financial coaching.
We are inviting social service providers to join us in shaping this collaborative ecosystem and delivering meaningful, high-impact support to the individuals and families we serve.
Life doesn’t stop when the workday starts. PeopleFirst Pathways helps you navigate the challenges that can make it hard to stay employed, supported, and moving forward in your career.
PeopleFirst Pathways exists to make sure no one has to face life’s challenges alone. You can care for yourself and your family, stay employed, and pursue your goals.
PeopleFirst Pathways builds on Ascentria’s unique ecosystem of social enterprises and wraparound supports that help individuals and families overcome systemic barriers across New England.
Rooted in more than 150 years of human services leadership, Ascentria brings the credibility, trust, and innovation needed to pioneer a new model of employee well-being that unites employers, workers, and communities in shared success.
Join Us in Shaping the Future of Workforce Well-Being
PeopleFirst Pathways is an entrepreneurial initiative, reimagining how employers, nonprofits, and communities collaborate to strengthen the care workforce and beyond. We’re engaging visionary partners to co-design pilots, test new models, and measure real impact.
If your organization is ready to rethink what it means to care for your people, we invite you to join us in shaping the future.
Your donation helps the individuals and families participating in our programs to become self-sufficient and confident in their ability to not only meet life’s challenges, but thrive. We can’t do it without you!
18 Chestnut Street, Ste 410
Worcester, MA 01608
774.243.3100
Hours: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
