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Mayor London Breed Expands CityBuild to Support San Francisco’s Local Workforce and Economic Recovery

Mayor London N. Breed and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) announced the expansion of CityBuild, a nationally recognized construction training program that provides career pathways for historically underserved San Francisco residents into the building and construction trades, to now serve 600 local residents over the next two years. 

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed. Photo courtesy of the Mayor’s office.

Mayor London N. Breed and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) announced the expansion of CityBuild, a nationally recognized construction training program that provides career pathways for historically underserved San Francisco residents into the building and construction trades, to now serve 600 local residents over the next two years. 

The expansion, which doubles the number of participants, will provide more opportunities for workers to learn in-demand skills, receive wraparound services and job placement assistance in the City’s growing construction industry.

“As we look to our economic recovery and focus on getting people back to work, it is critical that we invest in providing our local workforce with the skills necessary to succeed. That is why we are doubling the number of CityBuild participants and creating more well-paying jobs for local San Franciscans,” Breed said on September 1. “Training our city’s workforce and placing them in meaningful careers will support those that were most impacted by the pandemic and help drive equitable employment opportunities for our city’s residents.”

The expansion will double CityBuild’s capacity to train 600 participants through CityBuild Academy, Special Trainings, and CityBuild-Building Trade Partnerships, including funding through Mayor Breed’s Women & Families First Initiative. 

The construction industry anticipates significant growth due to the local hiring requirement that is part of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package. In August, the U.S. Senate approved Biden’s $1.2 trillion proposal to invest in the nation’s roads, bridges, public transit, broadband, and essential infrastructure, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs nationwide, including goals for local community hiring.

“Local Hire has led to more job opportunities for historically underserved communities. The expansion of CityBuild capitalizes on those opportunities to ensure that local residents have access to livable wages and long-lasting careers in a growing industry,” said Kate Sofis, director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “CityBuild is vital to San Francisco’s equitable economic recovery—serving as an example of how we can meet the moment, strengthen our local workforce, and get San Franciscans back to work”

 

San Francisco’s Local Hire Ordinance requires 30% of all project hours on City-funded construction to be performed by local residents. CityBuild assists in providing a pipeline of qualified workers to meet the requirements of the Ordinance and the demands of the industry. 

In the years since the Local Hire Ordinance’s adoption, local residents have performed 33% of a total of 8.2 million work hours on covered projects, with 48% of apprentice hours worked by local apprentices. 

Biden’s infrastructure deal builds on the success of local hiring policies to create economic opportunity for disadvantaged residents by implementing a resident hiring requirement in federal infrastructure construction projects for the first time, creating a significant demand for San Francisco residents in the construction industry. 

Congress will resume consideration of the proposal upon returning from recess on September 20.

CityBuild was the Office of Economic and Workforce Development’s first training program, providing the foundation for future workforce initiatives in healthcare, tech, hospitality, and emerging industries,” said Joshua Arce, director of Workforce at the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “CityBuild’s many years of success in providing underserved communities access to opportunities to raise a family, buy a home, and have a successful career is intertwined with our partnership with the Building Trades, who offer graduates the chance to become a Union apprentice and turn out as journey-level construction workers, perhaps eventually becoming superintendents or apprenticeship coordinators. 

“This unique collaboration between labor, contractor, educational, and community-based organizations has made CityBuild a national model to advance equity,” Arce said.
CityBuild began in 2006, under then-Mayor Gavin Newsom, as an effort to coordinate citywide construction training and employment programs and is administered by OEWD in partnership with City College of San Francisco and the San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council, community non-profit organizations including Mission Hiring Hall, industry employers, and City agencies. 

CityBuild trainees represent neighborhoods from across the City, including Bayview Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley, the Mission, the Excelsior, Ingleside, Bernal Heights, and the Western Addition.

“Today we celebrate 15 years of CityBuild providing opportunities for SF residents right here in the Southeast Sector of San Francisco. I want to acknowledge all of the individuals who have completed the program and gone on to become leaders in the field of construction. The partnerships that have developed through this training program have made it possible to employ hundreds of community members,” said San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton, who represents District 10. “I want to thank San Francisco City College, OEWD, and all of the community-based organizations that make the connections for our residents. Looking forward to many more years of making opportunities real!”

Over the past 15 years, CityBuild’s Training Academy has graduated 1,350 participants, including 146 through partnerships with projects such as the Chase Center, Gleneagles, and Alice Griffith. Graduates of the program represent the diversity of San Francisco’s disadvantaged job seekers with 30% Black, 19% Latino, and 36% Asian- Pacific Islander. In an industry that is nationally comprised of less than 1% women, CityBuild graduates are comprised of 12% women.

“At the core of CityBuild’s success are our partnerships,” said CityBuild Director Ken Nim. “Thanks to the support from labor organizations, construction contractor community, inter-agency and government collaboration, and community-based organizations providing services on the ground, we developed a strong foundation to deliver a program for all San Franciscans to prosper. These four pillars continue to be the strength of helping the City recover and build stronger.”

“The San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council and all our affiliates are proud of our partnership with CityBuild since its inception. Thanks to CityBuild’s services to the community, the program had prepared San Francisco residents with core skills to be successful in the industry,” said Rudy Gonzales, the secretary-treasurer of the San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council. “Graduates of the program are more equipped for the rigors of construction and become strong apprentices. Our employers and apprenticeship coordinators all believe that the pathway CityBuild has provided for graduates is the model for what a pre-apprenticeship program has to offer.”

CityBuild has evolved into a network of training programs, employment services, and policy administration. With its dual-service approach to training and job placement, CityBuild has taken advantage of the growing pipeline of workers to become a valuable resource for contractors and employers while continuing to monitor local hiring compliance on all major construction projects within the City. For more information, please visit www.oewd.org/citybuild.

“Wraparound services are critical to the successful outcomes of a workforce training participant. These services will help us identify and address the personal and social needs of participants that may impact their transition to gainful employment,” said Michelle Leonard-Bell, executive director of Mission Hiring Hall and CityBuild program coordinator. “The human touch of empathy and compassion demonstrates our commitment to focus on each person’s unique circumstances. These coordinated services will lead to greater success as participants begin careers in the construction industry.”

“Swinerton is proud to be a partner of CityBuild since its inception 15 years ago. The quality of graduates and the success of the apprentices coming out of the program has helped our company retain great employees,” said Lori Dunn-Guion, Vice President – Division Manager, Swinerton. “Part of the mission of our company is to ensure that we have a long and lasting impact on the communities in which we live, serve, and belong. We recognize jobs and career opportunities promote sustainable economies. Our partnership with CityBuild has helped us achieve that goal.”

 The San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Communications provided this report.

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Oakland Post: Week of September 20 – 26, 2023

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 20 – 26, 2023

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The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 20 -26, 2023

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WATCH LIVE! — NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Welcome to the NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception
The post WATCH LIVE! — NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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OP-ED: Delivering Climate Resilience Funding to Communities that Need it the Most

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Just last month, FEMA announced nearly $3 billion in climate mitigation project selections nationwide to help communities build resilience through its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) national competition and Flood Mitigation Assistance program. In total, more than 50% of these projects will benefit disadvantaged communities, and in particular, 70% of BRIC projects will do the same.
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By Erik A. Hooks, FEMA Deputy Administrator

We know that disasters do not discriminate. Yet, recovery from the same event can be uneven from community to community, perpetuating pre-existing inequalities. Recognizing these disparities, FEMA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration have prioritized equity when it comes to accessing federal programs and resources.

The numbers tell the story.

Just last month, FEMA announced nearly $3 billion in climate mitigation project selections nationwide to help communities build resilience through its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) national competition and Flood Mitigation Assistance program. In total, more than 50% of these projects will benefit disadvantaged communities, and in particular, 70% of BRIC projects will do the same.

These selections further underscore the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to equity and reaffirm FEMA’s mission of helping people before, during and after disasters, delivering funding to the communities that need it most.

Building on this momentum and our people-first approach, FEMA recently announced the initial designation of nearly 500 census tracts, which will be eligible for increased federal support to become more resilient to natural hazards and extreme weather worsened by the climate crisis. FEMA will use “Community Disaster Resilience Zone” designations to direct and manage financial and technical assistance for resilience projects nationwide, targeting communities most at risk due to climate change. More Community Disaster Resilience Zone designations, including tribal lands and territories, are expected to be announced in the fall of 2023.

These types of investments have, and will yield a significant return on investment for communities nationwide.

For example, in my home state of North Carolina, the historic community of Princeville, founded by freed African American slaves, uses BRIC funding to move vulnerable homes and critical utilities out of flood-prone areas.

In East Harlem, BRIC dollars will provide nature-based flood control solutions to mitigate the impacts of extreme rainfall events in the Clinton low-income housing community.

While we are encouraged by these investments, we know more must be done.

Not every community has the personnel, the time or the resources to apply for these federal dollars. Fortunately, FEMA offers free, Direct Technical Assistance to help under-resourced communities navigate the grant application process and get connected with critical resources. Under the leadership of FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, this assistance has been a game-changer, reducing barriers and providing even more flexible, customer-focused, tailored support to communities interested in building and sustaining successful resilience programs.

In Eastwick, Philadelphia, FEMA’s dedicated support helped the city with outreach to multiple federal agencies. Together, we built a comprehensive community-led flood mitigation strategy. When applied and implemented, this will make this community more resilient to hazards like flooding, which was negatively affecting many neighborhood blocks.

In DePue, Illinois, we worked hand-in-hand with communities to improve their ability to submit high-quality funding applications for hazard mitigation projects. We are happy to share that DePue is the first Direct Technical Assistance community to be selected in the BRIC national competition. And, we know they will not be the last. Thanks to this assistance and their ambition, DePue was awarded more than $20 million to build a new wastewater treatment plant, which will reduce flooding and raw sewage back-up into the basements of homes.

In total, our agency is working with over 70 communities, including tribal nations, to increase access to funding for mitigation projects that will make communities more livable and resilient.

With extreme weather events becoming increasingly intense and frequent due to climate change, we must keep pressing forward and continue investing in ways to better protect ourselves and our neighbors. And we are encouraged that local officials are engaging with us to learn more about the benefits of the BRIC non-financial Direct Technical Assistance initiative—just last week, we saw hundreds of participants nationwide register for a recent webinar on this important topic.

We want to see even more communities take advantage of this initiative, and, ultimately, obtain grants for innovative and forward-looking resilience projects. To that end, FEMA recently published a blog with five steps to help local communities and tribal nations learn more about the benefits of this non-financial technical assistance to access federal funding. I hope your community will take action and submit a letter of interest for this exciting opportunity and increase meaningful mitigation work throughout the country.

With the pace of disasters accelerating, communities can utilize federal resources to reduce their risk and take action to save property and lives. FEMA stands ready to be a partner and collaborator with any community that is ready to implement creative mitigation strategies and help build our nation’s resilience.

The post OP-ED: Delivering Climate Resilience Funding to Communities that Need it the Most first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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