Atlanta CareerRise Selected to Participate in National Job Quality Initiative
Recently, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions announced that it is awarding $100,000 to Atlanta CareerRise to advance job quality strategies in Georgia’s construction industry. The grants, made possible through The Prudential Foundation, will enable local employers to incorporate new skill development strategies and/or business practices that will improve their competitiveness and result in better jobs for workers. Atlanta CareerRise was chosen from the National Fund for Workforce Solutions network of more than 30 communities as one of four grant recipients in this innovative program. Atlanta CareerRise, in partnership with the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA), will be addressing job quality issues impacting the retention and advancement of new hires from CEFGA’s Construction Ready Program and applying those strategies more broadly to new hire and frontline employees. Local funders and CareerRise will match the National Funds’s award with another $100,000.
Since its founding in 2011, CareerRise and its partners have served more than 800 individuals and enrolled more than 600 individuals in training who have earned nearly 1,500 industry-recognized credentials. In addition, we have placed 303 unemployed persons in jobs and advanced 120 frontline employees in their careers. CareerRise has also directly provided more than 4,000 man hours of learning in community educational events.
The National Fund’s Job Quality Initiative is focused on expanding the number of good jobs for American workers by promoting business practices and community investments that support workers and businesses. National Fund collaboratives will partner with companies to implement new hiring and training strategies that will enhance productivity and growth while improving key conditions for workers such as learning new skills, higher wages, better benefits, improved supervision, incentive bonuses, and opportunities for advancement.
“From our work with thousands of employers, we understand that a ‘good job’ is key for workers, companies and communities to succeed,” said Fred Dedrick, President and CEO of the National Fund. “By effectively hiring, training, engaging and empowering entry-level staff, companies create a competitive advantage. That is why our local partners are working directly with businesses to help them understand what ‘makes a good job’ and how to institute practices that sustain them.”
A total of seven cities will be participating in the program. An additional three cities will be announced in late spring. Each collaborative will be developing strategies tailored to their labor market, workforce system, employer partners and unique challenges.
Cinda Herndon-King is the Executive Director of Atlanta CareerRise. For more information on Atlanta CareerRise, click here or email Cinda Herndon-King at cking@unitedwayatlanta.org.
