Lots of DC residents are working hard, but not everyone is getting ahead. Residents without a college degree face falling wages and stubbornly high unemployment. Addressing these disturbing trends is critical to enabling everyone who lives in the District to thrive, as housing and other costs continue to rise. Improving the employment skills of DC residents also is critical to the future health of the DC economy. 
That’s why we hope you will join us on November 13 at a summit hosted by DC government and a number of non-profit organizations — including the DC Fiscal Policy Institute — to discuss strategies “to move all District residents towards stable and family-sustaining employment.”
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Summit, at the R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, will focus on strengthening partnerships among employers, DC government and community-based organizations to create better career pathways for residents. It will highlight opportunities provided by recent federal law, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), to help more residents gain literacy and job skills needed to enter the job market, and to improve training opportunities for working residents interested in career enhancement. The summit also will include discussion of current workforce development efforts by leading DC agencies.
Then, most of the day will be spent in small groups to discuss key ways to strengthen the adult education and job training system in DC, including:
- Creating stronger partnerships between employers, training providers and others in growing DC industries;
- Improving coordination of DC’s various education and training programs;
- Strengthening the city’s main entry point for jobseekers, our American Job Centers; and
- Setting stronger performance measures and doing more to collect information on outcomes of key programs and training providers.
We look forward to seeing you! Click here to register.
To print a copy of today’s blog, click here.
