Davis JenkinsSenior Fellow, Great Cities Institute

University of Illinois at ChicagoTel: (312)996-8059

E-mail: davis@uic.edu

MPC Forum onBuilding Successful Mixed-Income Communities

Jobs, Training and Workforce DevelopmentJuly 12, 2005

High-Impact Employment Services toSupport Successful

Mixed Income Communities

Realities at the Low End of theLabor Market

• Chronically unemployed individuals will cycle through numerous jobs before becoming stably employed – often need socialization to culture of work as a first step

• Work alone usually does not lead to job advancement for low-wage workers; some job-connected training needed to advance to jobs paying family-supporting wages

• Low-wage workers often have to change jobs, even industries, to advance to family-supporting jobs

• High-impact employment services address both the needs and circumstances of job seekers/workers and the business needs of employers (e.g., recruitment, retention)

High-Quality Employment Services

Full Menu of Services

Marketing and recruitment Employment-related assessment and counseling Job placement and retention support Transitional jobs Bridge training programs Postsecondary education and training Support services (housing, day care,

transportation, drug treatment, family counseling, etc.)

High-Quality Employment Services

Industries with Job Opportunities for CHA Clients

Employment agencies Non-profits Hospitals, long-term care and other health care

providers Retail Security Hotels, restaurants Manufacturing, transportation, and logistics City contractors (Section III)

High-Quality Employment Services

Stakeholder Education and Engagement

Public housing residents and clients Business community (including developers) City, state and federal agencies Service Providers Foundations Press and the public

Suggestions for CHA

Research employers’ human resource needs and customize services accordingly

Use transitional jobs to socialize hard-core unemployed to culture of work

Invest heavily in work readiness preparation prior to placement and job coaching to promote retention

Provide job-connected training at CHA sites

Provide drug treatment and other services on-site

Reach out to youth and men under 25

Collect data on outcomes and use to improve services