The National Urban League Combats Unemployment in New Orleans with its Jobs Rebuild America Campaign
- A 50-city, $100 Million Public-Private-Nonprofit Partnership Effort to Put America Back to Work -
July 2, 2013 (New York, NY) – Today, the National Urban League, the nation's largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization, announced a $1.5 million grant to the Urban League of Greater New Orleans as part of its historic “Jobs Rebuild America: Educate, Employ, Empower” initiative. Jobs Rebuild America, a solutions-based, comprehensive approach to the nation’s employment and education crisis, brings together federal government, business, and nonprofit resources to create economic opportunity in 50 communities nationwide through the Urban League affiliate network.
The Urban League unveiled the national, two-prong campaign in May in Cleveland, OH, along with Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor Seth Harris.
The community investment component is a $100 million, five-year multi-platform effort designed to reach job-seekers, vulnerable youth and entrepreneurs. The initiative uses a comprehensive community development model that includes program offerings such as job-training for youth (18-24) and mature workers (55+), college preparation, a jobs network, entrepreneurship support, small business financing and resources, and tax credits, among others.
The grassroots advocacy component of Jobs Rebuild America focuses on federal legislative action to ensure a responsible fiscal plan, spotlight the urgency of job creation and emphasize the need to invest in the education and skills enhancement of disadvantaged young people, including the Urban Jobs Act (co-sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Chaka Fattah) and the Project Ready STEM Act (sponsored by Rep. Marcia Fudge).
“As our nation faces the lowest labor force participation rate in almost 35 years, creating jobs and economically viable communities must be a collaborative, tripod effort between the government, corporate and nonprofit sectors,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “Our Jobs Rebuild America initiative is a leading example that public-private-nonprofit partnerships can drive job creation and the program innovation required to revitalize struggling communities. It’s time to shift from the debate about the problem of unemployment to comprehensively doing what is required to solve it, and our affiliates across the country, including the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, are primed to do just that.”
As a designated Jobs Rebuild America market, the Urban League of Greater New Orleans is receiving community investment competitive grants for three signature National Urban League programs – the Urban Youth Empowerment Program (UYEP), the Entrepreneurship Center program, and Project Ready: Post-Secondary Success Program – as well as a Training for Work/Adult Re-entry program.
“The Urban League of Greater New Orleans is excited to be a grant recipient of the Jobs Rebuild America initiative,” said Erika McConduit, Interim President & CEO, Urban League of Greater New Orleans. “This support comes at a critical time as the New Orleans region is experiencing unprecedented growth and investments in infrastructure, oil and gas, healthcare and technology innovation. We are committed to ensuring that our youth and small business sector are prepared to participate in the burgeoning economy generated by these investments, and these resources will help to sustain that effort.”
For the UYEP program, the New Orleans affiliate will serve 100 juvenile offenders ages 16-24 over two years via case management support, job readiness and placement services, mentoring, restorative justice and education and training opportunities.
The Urban League of Greater New Orleans Entrepreneurship Center provides business technical assistance and management consulting as well as extensive business start-up and growth training services to more than 1,100small and minority businesses in the New Orleans area annually. The Entrepreneurship Center’s economic inclusion initiative has facilitated construction contracts for local DBE’s and small business contractors in the rebuilding of New Orleans area schools.
The National Urban League will also continue its grant commitment to the New Orleans affiliate to advance its Project Ready efforts around academic, college and career readiness, and social and cultural support for 9th-12th grade students.
The Training for Work/Adult Re-entry program targets convicted adults in work release programs and connects them to industry-recognized credentials and employment opportunities. The New Orleans program will serve 120 participants over two years via supportive services, education and training opportunities, and mentoring, as well as job readiness and placement support.
“We are fully committed to the work that we are doing and to investing critical resources to make a positive difference in the lives of the people of New Orleans,” said Morial. “What we are accomplishing here is representative of what we are doing with our partners and affiliates across the nation to provide economic and education opportunities in communities of greatest need.”
For additional information on Jobs Rebuild America, program components and employment opportunities, as well as participant testimonials, visit www.jobsrebuildamerica.org.
Follow the National Urban League on Facebook and Twitter (@NatUrbanLeague).
*Note:See the following addendums for a list of all cities where Urban League affiliates are operating Jobs Rebuild America programs, initiative partners, and program components.
Jobs Rebuild America New Orleans Release – ADDENDUM 1
CITIES WITH URBAN LEAGUE AFFILIATES OPERATING JOBS REBUILD AMERICA PROGRAMS:
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1. Alexandria, VA (PR) 2. Atlanta, GA (PR, UYEP, EC) 3. Aurora, IL (PR, UYEP) 4. Birmingham, AL (UYEP) 5. Boston, MA (UYEP, MWP) 6. Chattanooga, TN (PR) 7. Chicago, IL (PR, EC) 8. Cincinnati, OH (PR, EC) 9. Cleveland, OH (PR, UYEP, EC) 10. Columbia, SC (PR) 11. Dallas, TX (PR, UYEP,) 12. Dayton, OH (UYEP) 13. Detroit, MI (PR, UYEP, MWP) 14. Elyria, OH (PR, UYEP) 15. Fort Lauderdale, FL (UYEP) 16. Fort Wayne, IN (PR) 17. Greenville, SC (PR) 18. Hartford, CT (PR) 19. Houston, TX (PR, UYEP, EC) 20. Indianapolis, IN (PR) 21. Jacksonville, FL (EC) 22. Kansas City (EC) 23. Knoxville, TN (PR) 24. Las Vegas, NV (UYEP) 25. Long Island, NY/via Westchester (UYEP, MWP) |
26. Los Angeles, CA (UYEP, EC) 27. Louisville, KY (PR, UYEP, MWP) 28. Madison, WI (PR) 29. Memphis , TN (PR) 30. Milwaukee, WI (PR) 31. Minneapolis, MN (PR) 32. Nashville, TN (PR) 33. New Orleans, LA (PR, UYEP, EC) 34. New York, NY (PR) 35. Newark, NJ (PR, UYEP, MWP) 36. Oklahoma City, OK (PR, UYEP) 37. Orlando, FL (CB) 38. Peoria, IL (UYEP) 39. Philadelphia, PA (PR, EC) 40. Pittsburgh, PA (PR, UYEP, MWP, CB) 41. Rochester, NY (PR, UYEP) 42. Sacramento, CA (UYEP) 43. San Diego, CA (PR, UYEP) 44. Seattle, WA (PR) 45. Springfield, IL (PR, UYEP) 46. Springfield, MA (PR) 47. West Palm Beach, FL (UYEP) 48. Wichita, KS (PR) 49. Wilmington, DE (PR) 50. Winston-Salem, NC (PR) |
PR = Project Ready UYEP = Urban Youth Empowerment Program EC= Entrepreneurship Center
MWP = Mature Workers Program CB = Urban Empowerment College Bound
Jobs Rebuild America New Orleans Release – ADDENDUM 2
JOBS REBUILD AMERICA PARTNERS:
- AT&T
- Bank of America
- Best Buy
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- BP America
- Chevron
- Citi
- Corinthians Colleges Inc.
- Everest College
- General Motors
- Goldman Sachs
- JPMorgan Chase
- Nationwide Insurance
- New York Stock Exchange
- Pitney Bowes
- State Farm
- Stonehenge
- Target
- Time Warner
- UPS
- U.S. Department of Justice
- U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Treasury
- Walmart
- Wells Fargo
Jobs Rebuild America New Orleans Release – ADDENDUM 3
JOBS REBUILD AMERICA PROGRAM COMPONENTS
- Urban Youth Empowerment Program
A job-training program that targets out-of-school and adjudicated youths between ages 14 and 17, and/or adjudicated youth between 18-24 years old, to prepare them for entry into world of work through provision of a comprehensive set of services including case management, education and job training, mentoring, internships and subsidized employment.
- Mature Workers Program
Provides job training, counseling, job placement and supportive services to workers who are 55 and older. Participants are placed in subsidized community service positions at nonprofit and public facilities, designed to provide skills that enable participants to obtain unsubsidized employment.
- Urban League Entrepreneurship Centers
Located at 10 Urban League affiliates around the country, the Centers provide comprehensive financial literacy training, management counseling, mentorship as well as technical assistance to start-up businesses that result in higher survival rates. All 10 Centers support job creation and preservation and long-term financial growth strategies through educational workshops and trainings, one-on-one consultation and business plan development geared to strengthen the business skills of minority entrepreneurs, assist businesses secure financing and contracts that advance their annual revenue and identify new markets with high-growth potential. Centers are located inAtlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Philadelphia.
- Project Ready: Post-Secondary Success Program
Provides 8th-12th grade students with academic, social and cultural supports and opportunities designed to develop “readiness”: having the information and perspective necessary for success without needing remediation in college or career.
- Urban Empowerment Fund (UEF)
Created to fill a widening credit gap, UEF is anew Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and small business loan fund that will provide financing and technical assistance to help small business owners create sustainable companies and vibrant communities nationwide across the markets it serves.
- Urban League Stonehenge New Markets Tax Credit Partnership
A federal community development program designed to stimulate the flow of investment capital in underserved communities. Tax payers that make qualified equity investments in designated Community Development Entities (CDEs) receive a 39 percent NMTC tax credit that is claimed over a seven-year credit allowance period. Substantially all of the qualified equity investment must in turn be used by the CDE to provide investments in low-income communities.
- Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
A national network of partners investing $500 million, funded by Goldman Sachs, to unlock the economic growth and job-creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, mentors and networks, and financial capital. The National Urban League is an anchor partner.
- Urban League Jobs Network and Career and Networking Fairs
The National Urban League’s Jobs Network is a community of support and connections to employers seeking diverse, qualified candidates. The Jobs Network hosts online Virtual Career Fairs and promotes local job fairs in conjunction with affiliates, as well as a three-day Career and Networking Fair that takes place during NUL’s Annual Conference. www.urbanleaguejobsnetwork.com
- Urban League Small Business Matters Summit
A one-day summit held in conjunction with the Annual Conference, it features dynamic speakers and interactive workshops. The Small Business Matters Summit offers the opportunity to network with industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs while accessing resources meant to spearhead your business growth and plans. The Pitch Contest offers new businesses an opportunity to win $10,000 in financing.
- Urban Empowerment College Bound Program
A partnership with Everest University, the pilot program provides students who have not finished high school with classroom instruction, tutoring, financial counseling and career coaching.
- California Urban Youth Empowerment Program
A job-training program that targets out-of-school and/or adjudicated youth between 18-24 years old, to prepare them for entry into world of work through provision of a comprehensive set of services including case management, education and job training, mentoring, internships and subsidized employment, focused on three California cities to be named at a later date.
About the National Urban League
The National Urban League (www.nul.org) is a historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization dedicated to economic empowerment in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League has improved the lives of more than two million people nationwide through direct service programs that are implemented locally by its 95 Urban League affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The organization also conducts public policy research and advocacy activities from its Washington, DC bureau. The National Urban League, a BBB-accredited organization, has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, placing it in the top 10 percent of all U.S. charities for adhering to good governance, fiscal responsibility and other best practices.
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