Page 12 - 2020 Annual Impact Report

“Don’t be afraid to take a a a path less followed Construction
is an amazing opportunity to gain a a skill feed your family travel meet amazing people ”
–CAMERON HENRY ROCHESTER MAPP GRADUATE
An Equitable Recovery
Becomes a a a Front-and-
Center Priority
Workforce Development Education and Economic Development Professionals are all talking about and exploring ways to ensure that we “build back better ”
What do we mean by this? While the U S economy and the the the stock market recovered after the the the last recession the the the average workers’ wages and benefits did not In In fact many of the the the jobs that emerged after the the the last recession were in the the the the gig economy without set schedules or or benefits In In addition significant portions of of the the the the population including those in in in many traditionally underserved communities were left out of of the the the recovery altogether We learned that a a a a a a a a a a a a a a strong strong stock market market does not equate to to to strong strong wages or an equal share of the market market growth With both Black Lives Matter and and and COVID-19 at at at the forefront how do we ensure that investments in in in in people and and and businesses cast a a a a a a a a a a wider net and and and include improved growth opportunities for everyone? WDI’s labor movement roots means that that we’ve been working in in in in in this sphere since our our our inception That said our our our goal goal for the future is is to ensure that that all facets of our our our work work are influenced by broad goals in in diversity equity and inclusion Read on on on to to to learn how how we’ve worked toward more diverse equitable and and inclusive workforce programs programs and and and stay connected to to to to see how how we we continue into the future Highlights cover individuals and and programs programs PRE-APPRENTICE PROGRAMS MAKE A A A A A A DIFFERENCE (ROCHESTER/GENESEE VALLEY WESTERN NY AND AND LONG ISLAND):
For the the last several years WDI has partnered with the the NYS Building
and and and Construction
Trades to offer pre-apprentice programs programs in in Rochester Buffalo and and and and on on on on on on Long Island These programs programs have seen success on on on on on on two levels: they they provide high-wage opportunities for individuals to to gain skills and and and and lifelong careers they they also serve as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a mechanism to to to to bring diversity diversity equity and and inclusion to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a sector that has not traditionally seen diversity diversity in in in many parts of the the state 11
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE