A new program in Dallas aims to change lives by removing barriers to the workforce.
It's called “Workforce Dallas,” and it's launching in some of the city's ZIP codes at highest risk of poverty. The program's leaders said the goal is to bring a holistic, hands-on approach to employee training, upskilling and job matching.
Felicia Miller said she knows the impact of a steady job and steady income. She is the Chief People Officer for Human Resources at Parkland Hospital.
She said career opportunities in the medical field are not limited to front-line workers. It takes a village to maintain a health system, and we need skilled people to fill a variety of positions.
“One of the best ways to improve people's health, well-being and lives is through full employment,” Miller said. “It provides people with stability in their lives, economic security and health.”
That's why she's optimistic about Workforce Dallas and its mission to train and provide stable, sustainable jobs to underserved communities. She said workers are needed within the health care system in the transportation, nursing, pharmaceutical and culinary sectors, to name just a few.
“A hospital system like this is like a mini-city. We have everything you can think of,” Miller said.
Lynn McBee is the City of Dallas' Labor Czar. Mayor Eric Johnson appointed McBee to the position earlier this year. She is tasked with leading a strong and equitable workforce across the city, starting with our most vulnerable communities.
“It's about getting someone into a job that's permanent and upwardly mobile,” McBee said.
He said the program targets people who often hold multiple jobs and still find it difficult to make a living. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the “working poor” are people who have spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force and whose income remains below the official poverty level.
“They're not sitting back and saying, 'I'm quitting my job.' They've never been given the opportunity to have these jobs and be part of this larger story about the workforce.” Mr. McBee explained.
The goal is for 50 to 100 people to successfully complete the program and begin work between July 1 and Labor Day. McBee said he hopes to more than quadruple that number by the end of the year.
Workforce Dallas provides job training and placement with a primary focus on four industries: transportation logistics, healthcare, construction, and IT.
Last November, Johnson commissioned a report examining the state of Dallas' workforce. The report found that more resources are needed for working adults aged 25 to 65.
McBee said Workforce Dallas is designed to provide comprehensive resources to these adults throughout the process.
“It's intensive case management, so to speak, to find what you need. And there are items that match it,” she said.
She said it's important not just to get a job, but to have a lasting positive impact on your overall quality of life.
“If you can give someone one job and they can spend their time doing that job at a park or something like that, that's a game-changer,” McBee said.
For information about opportunities at Workforce Dallas, please visit the website in the following ways: Please click here.
