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Newsletter November 2003 The Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF) is pleased to bring you the latest edition of its electronic newsletter. The JOTF E-Newsletter includes news, announcements, and information about upcoming events in the Baltimore area that we hope will be of interest to you. If your organization would like to publicize an event, job announcement, or other information, please send e-mail to info@jotf.org. In this issue:
OTHER NEWS:
UPCOMING EVENTS:
NEW PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES:
JOTF NEWS JOTF LAUNCHES REMODELED WEBSITE JOTF invites you to visit our remodeled website, www.jotf.org. Read JOTF reports, view summaries of our public forums, find our how you can participate in our advocacy work, and learn about our programs in the areas of Employer Engagement, Capacity Building, and Special Populations. Our new site also features links to the latest research in the workforce development field, and provides information about new grant and job opportunities in the area. We hope you will find www.jotf.org easy to navigate and helpful in your work. Please visit often. For more information, contact Kevin
Griffin Moreno at (410) 234-8046. JOTF GIVES BRIEFING TO BALTIMORE CITY COUNCIL At the request of Baltimore City Council president Sheila Dixon, JOTF organized a briefing to the Council's Education and Labor Subcommittee on October 23. The briefing covered the major findings and recommendations from our 2003 report, Baltimore's Choice: Workers and Jobs for a Thriving Economy. JOTF president Joanne Nathans introduced JOTF; executive director Deborah Povich presented the major findings and recommended three areas in which the City Council could improve outcomes for low-skill workers and job seekers. Robert Stephens, president of the Genesis Group, discussed the importance of strengthening partnerships between workforce and economic development activities in the City. Chauna Brocht, JOTF research associate and co-author of Subsidizing the Low Road: Economic Development in Baltimore, recommended the City set quality wage standards and require full-disclosure of the wages and benefits that result from City economic development subsidies. Peter Sabonis, executive director of the Homeless Persons' Representation Project, recommended ways to reduce the impact a criminal record has on hiring by requiring employers to identify a nexus between the criminal activity and the job. Dan Hatcher, public policy director with the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau, discussed actions the City Council could take to reduce the negative impact child support arrearages have on mainstream employment. Six program participants from the Center for Fathers, Families, and Workforce Development, spoke about the challenges they have as ex-offenders finding employment. Our next step is to advance these recommendations through legislation. For more information, contact Deborah
Povich at (410) 234-8045. Read
Deborah Povich's Nov. 1 letter. POLICY ANALYST DAVID BOSSER JOINS BWIB, JOTF JOTF welcomes David Bosser to his new position as workforce policy analyst for the Baltimore Workforce Investment Board (BWIB) and JOTF. The majority of his job duties will involve working in support of BWIB’s Workforce System Effectiveness Committee to conduct research on and evaluation of Baltimore's workforce system. A portion of his time will be dedicated to JOTF projects. Before accepting his current position, David worked for the Maryland Governor's Workforce Investment Board, where he researched workforce system performance issues. His first day of work with us will be Wednesday November 19. This position is generously funded by the Abell Foundation and the Open Society Institute. David will be based at the Jacob France Institute of the University of Baltimore.
JOTF WELCOMES NEW PROGRAM ASSISTANT DOHA MELHEM Prior to joining JOTF, Doha interned at the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade, where she worked in the director-general's office on issues of international trade. She has also been a research assistant to IPS Senior Fellows Arnold Packer and Marsha Schachtel. In 2004 she will graduate with a master's degree in public policy and a certificate of nonprofit studies. Doha may be contacted at 410-234-8303 or help@jotf.org. BALTIMORE EMPLOYMENT ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSES WORKPLACE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DISABLED WORKERS The Baltimore Employment Roundtable co-hosted a presentation on Workplace
Accommodations for Disabled Employees on October 23. Our guest speaker
was Kathleen Desmond Porter, Training and Organization Development Director
at the ADA & IT
Information Center in Rockville, Maryland. Ms. Porter spoke about
employers' role in providing reasonable accommodations for disabled workers
under the Americans with This presentation was organized in partnership with the Employment Committee
of the Mayor's Commission on Disabilities, and took place in the Charles
Benton Municipal Building. For more information about the Employment Committee of the Mayor's Commission
on Disabilities, contact Regina
Bellina, Mayor's Office of Employment Development, at (410) 396-1790. OTHER NEWS REP. CUMMINGS AGREES TO CO-SPONSOR FEDERAL TRANSITIONAL JOBS BILL JOTF wishes to thank Representative Elijah Cummings for his support of the Business Links Act of 2003, an upcoming bill in the U.S. House of Representatives which would dedicate $200 million in grants annually over the next five years for transitional jobs programs that target TANF recipients and others with barriers to employment. Rep. Cummings agreed to be an original co-sponsor of the bill. JOTF encouraged him to sign on to this measure. The Business Links Act of 2003 is being introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois. Additional Congressional co-sponsors are required for this bill. For
more
JOTF congratulates Patrick Cassidy on his new position as senior project manager with the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) based in Washington, D.C. Mr. Cassidy will begin work on November 10, 2003. The former deputy director of the Maryland Governor's Workforce Investment Board, Mr. Cassidy was a speaker at JOTF's June 2003 forum, Beyond Entry-Level: Career Advancement Strategies for Low-Skill Workers. In his new position, Mr. Cassidy will work to
develop capacities of local Workforce Investment Boards to identify
and meet the needs of high-growth employers, and to educate employers
and workforce entities about services available at Baltimore's career
one-stop centers. He promises to "make
every effort to help make Maryland's efforts a success." MD TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE TO HOLD PUBLIC FORUMS THIS MONTH The Maryland Daily Record reports that the Maryland Transportation Task Force will hold public forums throughout the month of November. The aim of the forums is to engage the citizens and integrate their views and demands into the state's transportation policy. The Transportation Task Force is in the process of drafting recommendations for the improvement of state transportation facilities and services. The Transportation Task Force is holding four public hearings in November. If you would like to make your voice heard, check the Public Hearing Schedule. Read
the October 28 Daily Record article. DEPT. OF LABOR SEEKS FEEDBACK ON WIA PERFORMANCE SURVEY The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration plans to administer a questionnaire to Local Workforce Investment Areas (LWIAs) on policies and practices related to performance accountability, including their performance goals, and measures and tools they have established to assist in performance management. The data will be used in two ways: to provide a national snapshot of the performance measurement system and to discern patterns of performance policies and practices among LWIAs. Written comments must be submitted by December 29. Comments may be addressed to Ms. Alberta Baker, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development, Evaluation and Research, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N-5637, Washington DC 20210. For further information and a copy of the proposed survey, please contact Ms. Baker at (202) 693-3642. The October 30 Federal Register provides more
information on the proposed survey. PROJECT BRIDGE CHOSEN TO IMPLEMENT BALTIMORE TRANSITIONAL JOBS PROJECT
UPCOMING EVENTS BALTIMORE CASH CAMPAIGN 2003-2004 LAUNCH (11/12) Join Mayor Martin O’Malley and other notable supporters for the launch of the 2003-2004 Baltimore CASH (Creating Assets, Savings, and Hope) Campaign, an effort to promote the Earned Income Tax Credit, free tax preparation, and asset development opportunities for low-income Baltimore residents. Wednesday, November 12, 2003 R.S.V.P. by November 10 to (410) 235-5299 or baltimorecashcampaign@hotmail.com TOWN HALL MEETING: EQUALITY WORKS CAMPAIGN (11/13) The Equality Works Campaign, sponsored by the Maryland Latino Coalition for Justice, is holding a town hall meeting to get low-wage workers' input on their working conditions and garner their support for advocacy efforts to protect their rights. The Campaign advocates improved basic labor rights rights for workers, guaranteed pay, a higher minimum wage, a halt to exploitative practices, among other worker-related issues. The meeting will take place on: Thursday, November 13 at 7:00 pm THE RE-ENTRY OF THE EX-OFFENDER: GOODWILL INDUSTRIES PANEL DISCUSSION (11/19) Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) present a panel discussion: Wednesday, November 19 DPSCS Secretary Mary Ann Saar will unveil her vision for the State's
role in facilitating ex-offenders' re-entry into society. She will be
joined by panelists who will discuss the struggle of returning offenders,
the role of the community, and options to reduce recidivism. Panelists
include Robert Embry, president, Abell Foundation; State Senator Nathaniel
McFadden; Judge Thomas Waxter, Baltimore City Circuit Court; and Melvin
Wilson, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. The discussion will be
moderated by Jayne Miller, chair, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. BALTIMORE EMPLOYMENT ROUNDTABLE TO DISCUSS 2004 MEETING TOPICS (11/20) The monthly meeting of the Baltimore Employment Roundtable will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 20 at Catholic Charities, 2305 North Charles Street (tentative location). This meeting will provide new and experienced Roundtable members an opportunity to get to know one another and learn about each other's work. We will review the past year's worth of meetings and brainstorm about topics to focus on next year. Continental breakfast will be served. All are welcome. For more information, contact Kevin Griffin Moreno at (410) 234-8046.
The Workforce Alliance presents its second annual national conference: Bringing it Back Home: Advocating for Workforce Training After the
Reauthorizations This year's two-day event picks up where last year's highly successful conference left off, highlighting the latest developments in the reauthorization of key federal policies, and looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities for their implementation at the state and local levels. For more information, contact the Workforce Alliance at (202) 338-0737. OPPORTUNITIES If your organization would like
to publicize a service, job announcement, grant, or other opportunity,
send e-mail to info@jotf.org. BALTIMORE HEALTHCARE COALITION SEEKS COORDINATOR The Baltimore Healthcare Coalition is a newly formed coalition
of health systems, hospitals, public agencies, educational institutions,
industry organizations, foundations and training providers that (1) seeks
to develop immediate and long-term plans, (2) to train job seekers and
entry-level workers in Baltimore to meet the skilled labor needs of area
healthcare organizations, and (3) to create placement, retention and
advancement opportunities for workers.
This is a full-time, temporary position under the supervision of the Division Director of the Youth Opportunity Area. The position involves coordination with the Youth Opportunity Management Team, coach, contract vendors, the administrative staff of the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, and state and city agencies. Read the full
job description. CASA OF MARYLAND SEEKS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT CASA
of Maryland is seeking a Director of Development. Candidates must
have experience in fundraising and excellent grant writing and computer
skills. The deadline for applying is November 10, 2003. WASHINGTON VILLAGE SEEKS JOB DEVELOPER AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR The Washington Village/Neighborhood Planning Council Family Support and Career Center is seeking a Job Developer and a Substance Abuse Counselor. The Job Developer researchers employment opportunities and serves as the primary point of contact for employers, clients, and case managers. The Substance Abuse Counselor is responsible for providing comprehensive services to clients in need of substance abuse services, including assessment, screening, referral, and individual and group counseling. Read the Job Developer job description. Read
the Substance Abuse Counselor job description. CLASP SEEKS SENIOR POLICY ANALYST, POLICY ANALYST The Center for Law and Social Policy is seeking a Senior Policy Analyst/Policy Analyst for its Workforce Development & Welfare Reform Group. CLASP, a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1968, conducts research, policy analysis, technical assistance, and advocacy on issues related to economic security for low-income families with children. Click here for full job description. NEW PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES CORPORATE VOICES FOR WORKING FAMILIES: PUBLIC OPINION REPORT Corporate Voices for Working Families, a coalition of corporations that conducts research on the needs of working families in America, has released report on public opinion regarding the economic security of low-wage workers. The report finds that "a weaker economy has made the public more receptive to policies that address the specific needs of low-wage workers." The report includes recommendations for the public and private sectors. Read
the report. In addition to offering best practices and policy analysis, WorkforceUSA.net allows
users to browse for data by "state, target population, industry
and occupation, and workforce development strategy." CLASP RELEASES TWO PUBLICATIONS ON WIA The Center for Law and Social Policy has recently released a report entitled “A Means to an End: Integration of Welfare and Workforce Development Systems”. Prepared by Lisa Ranghelli, Nisha Patel, and Mark Greenberg, the report sheds light on the early experiences of four states (Florida, Ohio, Utah, and Wisconsin) that have undergone TANF-WIA integration efforts and the impact of integration on federal policy as well as on local stakeholders such as job seekers, families, and businesses. Read the full
report and 8-page policy
brief. CLASP also produced State-by-State WIA Program Participation Data, PY 2000 and PY 2001, prepared by Abbey Frank and Hedieh Rahmanou. Under WIA and associated regulations, states are required to collect a series of demographic and performance outcomes information on each WIA participant who accesses intensive and training services. The complete WIASRD data for PY 2000 and PY 2001 have recently become available. These tables provide state-by-state data on program participation for various groups of individuals. WORKFORCE ALLIANCE RELEASES NEW NATIONAL POLL The Workforce Alliance has recently released the results of a national poll of voters' attitudes toward investments in job training as a strategy for improving the U.S. economy. The results of this survey demonstrate that prioritizing workforce development is not only good policy; it's also good politics, as defined by a voting public that is looking for political leadership on the issue. Read the TWA's press
release and the complete
summary of the survery results. |
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