• JOTF Invites You to a Debate on the Minimum Wage, June 22
• Diane Bell to Take Over as JOTF President
• Governor Signs Adult Education, Food Stamps Bills, Vetoes Nuisance Crimes Bill
• JOTF Print Newsletter Spotlights Diane Bell, '05 Legislative Session
• Visit the JOTF Blog!

OTHER NEWS

• '60 Minutes' to Profile Maryland Re-Entry Program Tonight
• St. Frances Academy "Offers a Haven" for Baltimore Youth
• Study Shows Habitat for Humanity Good for Neighborhood Economies


UPCOMING EVENTS

• Jones Falls Watershed Association Seeks Executive Director
• Job Openings at Marian House
• MOED Seeks Businesses to Participate in Youthworks Program
• Good Jobs New York Seeks Research Analyst
• Employment and Training Administration Announces Availability of Grant Funding
• Opportunity for After School Funding
• MOED Seeks Career Development Facilitator
• MSDE Seeks Offender Workforce Development Facilitators
• Jobs Available at House of Ruth

JOTF Invites You to a Debate on the Minimum Wage, June 22

Raising the Minimum Wage: Good for Maryland?

With:
Jared Bernstein, Ph.D., Senior Economist, Economic Policy Institute
Tim Kane, Ph.D., Bradley Fellow in Labor Policy, The Heritage Foundation

Moderator:
Anthony McCarthy, Political Analyst and Host of WEAA-FM’s “Daybreak” and WYPR-FM’s “News Roundup.”

Wednesday, June 22, 2005
8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. 
Thumel Business Center Auditorium
Merrick School of Business
University of Baltimore
1420 North Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 
(Corner of Charles Street and Mount Royal Avenue)

Space is limited.  RSVP to Jessica Traskey at (410) 234-8046 or jessica@jotf.org.

Recent proposals to increase the minimum wage above the federally mandated $5.15 per hour have sparked advocacy on both sides of the issue. Join JOTF in welcoming two national experts for a spirited debate on the merits and pitfalls of a minimum wage increase, and an examination of the impact such an increase might have on workers, businesses, and local economies in Maryland.

Light refreshments will be served.   Parking is available at the UB garage, on Maryland Avenue between Biddle and Chase Streets. There is no charge for this event.

Diane Bell to Take Over as JOTF President
We are pleased to announce that the JOTF board of directors has elected Diane Bell president. A longtime board member, Bell’s first involvement with JOTF was in 1998, when she served on the advisory panel that planned our first ‘job gap’ report. Beginning in July she will take over from founding president Joanne Nathans, who will remain an active board member.

Currently a senior fellow with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bell was most recently president and CEO of Empower Baltimore Management Corporation. Prior to that, she held leadership positions in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore City governments. This year Bell was named one of ‘Maryland’s Top 100 Women’ by the Daily Record.

A full profile of Diane Bell can be found in the summer 2005 edition of our print newsletter, JOTF Works. (See article below.)

Governor Signs Adult Education, Food Stamps Bills, Vetoes Nuisance Crimes Bill
In May Governor Robert L. Ehrlich signed into law two bills which JOTF actively advocated during the 2005 legislative session.

Senate Bill 384, sponsored by Senator Patrick J. Hogan and others, allocates $1.5 million in Fiscal Years 2007 and 2008 for essential adult education programs, including basic literacy, ESOL, and GED services.  The bill also authorizes the Maryland State Department of Education to develop an ongoing funding method for adult education that will further reduce the extensive waiting lists for these important services.

The $1.5 M appropriation for FY '07 and '08 is a welcome addition to the $1.2 M in adult education funding which the legislature approved for FY '06. JOTF joined MSDE, the MD Association of Adult Community and Continuing Education, and others in calling for increased state funding for adult education.

The Governor also signed into law House Bill 1024, which lifts the state ban that currently restricts single individuals and non-custodial parents who have drug convictions from receiving food stamps. Sponsored by Delegate Keith E. Haynes and others, this legislation makes Maryland eligible for expanded federal employment and training funds associated with the food stamps program. JOTF partnered with the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence – MD Chapter in supporting this bill.

JOTF Print Newsletter Spotlights Diane Bell, Legislative Session
Hot off the presses! Pick up a copy of the summer 2005 edition of JOTF’s print newsletter, JOTF Works. The current issue features an in-depth profile of new JOTF president Diane Bell, a recap of 2005 legislative session, and much more.

If you have not received a copy of JOTF Works and would like to be added to the JOTF mailing list, send an e-mail to kevin@jotf.org.

Visit the JOTF Blog!
Stay up to date on the latest developments in the workforce world by logging on to the newly launched JOTF weblog. Advocating Better Skills, Jobs and Incomes features news, views, and informal commentary on employment and training issues from a JOTF perspective.

To find out how you can post your own entries to the JOTF blog, send e-mail to info@jotf.org.

’60 Minutes’ to Profile Maryland Re-Entry Program Tonight
The CBS prime-time news show ’60 Minutes Wednesday’ will air a segment on offender re-entry programs run by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. The piece follows a participant in the Re-Entry Partnership Initiative, and chronicles his transition from incarceration into society. The program will air Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. on CBS.

St. Frances Academy “Offers a Haven” for Baltimore Youth
The New York Times writes about the success of Baltimore's St. Frances Academy in turning around the lives of vulnerable young men and women. "Almost every student graduates, and 90 percent go on to college - for three out of four students, the first in their families to do so."

JOTF board member Ralph E. Moore, Jr., is the Director of St. Frances’ Community Center Programs.

Read "In a Grim Corner of Baltimore, a High School Offers a Haven"

Study Shows Habitat for Humanity Good for Neighborhood Economies
A recent study by the Sage Policy Group shows that Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity is having a positive impact on family incomes in some of the region’s most economically depressed neighborhoods. By fostering homeownership, employment, and financial management skills, Chesapeake Habitat is helping to stabilize fragile communities.

Mike Mitchell, executive director of Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity, is a member of the JOTF board of directors.

Listen to the May 27 radio piece about Chesapeake Habitat 88.1 WYPR-FM.

Learning Bank of COIL to Host Youthlight Southwest Exhibit (6/7 - 7/7)
The Learning Bank of COIL, Inc. will host the Youthlight Southwest Exhibit, featuring photographs and video by Youthlight Students grades 6-9, from June 7th to July 7th. Gallery hours are: Monday - Friday noon to 4 and Thursday noon to 6:30. The Learning Bank of COIL is located at: 1200 West Baltimore Street, 410 659 5452.

Employment and Training Administration Announces Availability of Grant Funding
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has announced the availability of approximately $15 million in Responsible Reintegration of Youthful Offender grant funds to address the specific workforce challenges of youth offenders For more information see the April 22 Federal Register or visit ETA's Solicitation for Grant Applications Web site.

Opportunity for After School Funding
The Family League of Baltimore City released a request for proposals on May 26th for organizations interested in operating a school based after school/community school program in Baltimore City. Copies of the RFP can be downloaded from http://www.flbcinc.org/FLBCRecentRFP.htm. For more information call 410-396-1654.

MOED Seeks Career Development Facilitator
The Mayor's Office of Employment Development is seeking a Career Development Facilitator for the Ex-Offender Program at the Northwest Career Center. Interested applicants can pick up an application from the Human Resources Dept., 417 E. Fayette St., suite 401, and return it (along with an updated resume) to Regina Bellina, HR Analyst.

MSDE Seeks Offender Workforce Development Facilitators

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is anticipating vacancies for some of the Maryland prison facilities and asks interested individuals to apply for the following position(s): Central Laundry Facility (Sykesville, MD), Maryland Correctional Institute in Jessup (MCIJ - Jessup, MD), and Jessup Pre-Release Unit (JPRU - Jessup, MD). If interested please send your resume with a cover letter by Friday, June 10th (5:00 pm) to: Diana Bailey, Project Director - Prison to Works, Maryland State Department of Education, Fax: (410) 333-2254, Email: dbailey@msde.state.md.us.

Jobs Available at The House of Ruth
The House of Ruth Maryland has several full- and part-time employment opportunities available.  Positions include Part-Time Housekeeper, Part-Time Kitchen Assistant, Intake Case Manager, Part-Time Data Entry Clerk, Development Assistant, Resident Assistant, Part-Time Female Group Facilitator, Paralegal/Administrative Assistant, and Resource Specialist. For more information visit http://www.hruth.org/jobs.htm.