The
Need for OIC/DC Economic Empowerment Center
The
Nation's Capitol should lead the Nation in providing opportunities
for citizens to obtain economic security for themselves and their
families. Research has proven that stable employment with a living
wage is one of the most important factors in fostering family formation
and maintaining stable families in urban areas. In a region that
is thriving with "new economy" jobs and businesses. DC
still has thousands of people who are being left behind. Unable
to take advantage of the new opportunities and unable to earn the
income needed to either start or adequately support a family. Thousands
of DC residents are unemployed and underemployed. Reviewing the
planning documents submitted by the DC government to the United
States Department of Labor reveals a city in desperate need of effective
workforce investment services. These documents show that DC is fast
becoming a city of two extremes--one of affluence and one of poverty.
Young workers in DC have one of the highest unemployment rates in
the Nation.
From
the facts, the need for a comprehensive center that can address
the workforce investment needs for both DC youth and adults is clear.
To briefly recap: thousands of people are currently unemployed,
underemployed and/or living in poverty in the District. The overwhelming
majority of these residents are not equipped to take advantage of
the workforce opportunities that are available in the Metropolitan
area labor market. Furthermore, this negatively impacts upon their
ability to start and /or adequately support a family. At a time
that employers in the Metropolitan area need well-trained and motivated
staff to meet the demands of an ever more competitive global economy,
there is a lack of qualified and ready workers. Thus, an unfortunate
mismatch of people and jobs exists. Thousands of young people are
leaving school each year before they have the tools needed to succeed
in the workforce. These young people need a multitude of workforce
investment services in order to successfully enter and stay in the
workforce.
These
facts amply point to the need for a workforce development center
that can address the needs of both employers and youth and adult
job seekers in a comprehensive and ongoing fashion. This is the
need that the OIC/DC Economic Empowerment Center will be designed
to fill.
F.
Alexis H. Roberson
President/CEO
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