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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 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.

Reviewing the planning documents submitted by the Brookings Institute and DC Appleseed revealed a city in desperate need of effective workforce investment services. These document 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 OIC/DC a comprehensive training 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 mismatched 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, youth and adult job seekers in a comprehensive and ongoing fashion. This is the need that the OIC/DC Empowerment Center is designed to fill.