CITY RECEIVES $100,000 ‘WORKING CITIES’ GRANT FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Of Somerville's nearly 9,700 residents in this age bracket, over 40% are

classified as either low- or very-low-income. Moreover, two-thirds of these residents

have very little formal post-secondary education. Nationally, just 54% of

Americans in this age bracket hold jobs, the lowest rate since 1948.

Somerville's WCC proposal, "Pocket Change: Creating a Somerville that Works for

All," blends the use of mobile technology with traditional workforce

development in order to reach the 18-24 out-of-school demographic, with a

specific focus on training for lower-income, lower-skilled individuals.

"Somerville's unemployment rate remains below the state and national

average, but for the individuals in our community who are struggling to find

employment-including some of our younger workers-all that matters is whether

they can get the one job they need. So as we work to bring good jobs to

Somerville through economic development at sites like Assembly Row and Union

Square, we must also ensure that our residents are prepared for the jobs that

new businesses will bring to our city, and this program will help us do just

that,," said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. "With the support of the WCC and Boston

Fed, Pocket Change will help us cultivate new job opportunities and give our recent

high school graduates and younger workers better incentives to obtain jobs in a

competitive market by arming them with the necessary tools and experience. This

is a great step in the right direction, building on our momentum with the Jobs

Advisory Committee and Future Economies Commission."

"Pocket Change" will engage 18-24-year-olds over a one-year period in a

pilot program. Through partnerships with more than 15 nonprofit and businesses

throughout Somerville, participants will gain workforce experience designed

using a "Level-Up" approach, offering youth the opportunity to gain experience

at various levels dependent upon successful completion of work at each level as

well as completion of job training and career development workshops.

"Pocket Change is a unique and innovative tool that the City of Somerville

and our community and business partners will be able to use to help prepare a

new generation for a growing workforce, particularly by capitalizing on the

strengths and skills possessed by this group of young adults in our community.

It will give young people the opportunity to gain additional, necessary

experience that employers are seeking in today's economy, opportunities that

many of these residents would not otherwise have, and we are extremely thankful

to Boston Fed and its funding partners for making this possible for our young

residents," said Ed O'Donnell, Economic Development Director for the City of

Somerville.

Other communities receiving grant funding include Lawrence, Fitchburg,

Holyoke, Chelsea, and Salem.

Funding awards have been made possible by the Massachusetts Competitive

Partnership, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, MassDevelopment, Living Cities,

Bank of America, The Boston Foundation, Surdna Foundation, the Move the World

Foundation, the Hyams Foundation, and Boston Private Bank and Trust. Other key

partners in the endeavor include Boston Community Capital, which will serve as

fiscal agent, and MassINC, which is a long-time leader on small city

initiatives.

For more information, visit http://www.bostonfed.org/WorkingCities