Increasing access to work and strengthening schools are central to building awesome neighborhoods. The Southwest Partnership’s Education and Workforce Development Committee works hard to connect area residents with job training programs, job-readiness support and good, local jobs while also working with our area schools to meet their needs by providing resources and opportunities to the children who live in the Southwest Partnership neighborhoods.
In 2016 the Committee’s goals are to place 250 area residents in local jobs or training programs, ensure that every child in the Southwest Partnership community has access to quality out of school time programming, and work with area schools to meet their attendance, mental health, and literacy needs.
In order to meet these goals we’ve been working on a number of projects including:
- The Workforce Resource Calendar on the Southwest Partnership website (https://swpbal.org/events/category/resources/). The calendar was put together in collaboration with area workforce providers and students at the University of Maryland Baltimore and has a listing of workforce development programs, GED and training classes and more! If you’d like to submit an event or class to the calendar please email Elizabeth at elizabeth@swpbal.org
- Providing small grants to area schools as part of the Small Grants Fund for Schools, which provided funding for end of school year celebrations, schools gardens, a student-run community health fair, and attendance initiatives.
- A summer YouthWorks program that will match our young people with neighborhood associations to work on community projects that will provide them with the opportunity to develop skills in graphic design, WordPress website design, and community organizing.
- Developed summer enrichment, attendance, and after school programs in partnership with area schools and working with community members, anchor institutions, and area funders to raise the money needed to implement the programs.
The Education and Workforce Development Committee meets the first Thursday of each month at 7pm. The meeting focuses primarily on supporting and strengthening area schools.
The Workforce Roundtable meets the third Friday of every month at 3pm at Bon Community Works (26 N. Fulton Ave). This meeting focuses on workforce development, job training, and job access.
Lisa Rawlings, a long-time resident of Union Square, is the Chair of the Committee.
If you’d like to get involved in workforce development or education projects in the area please contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@swpbal.org or call 667-210-2105.
