AAMA
AAMA pleased to announce that we have received a generous grant from Google.org to conduct a needs assessment (the “Assessment”) in Columbia, South Carolina, Gary Indiana, and Long Beach, CA (the “Cities”). The Cities identified have workforces vulnerable to job loss and populations between 100,000 and 500,000, as well as substantial black and Latino communities. We found it important to partner with diverse leaders to uplift this project as the focus is on black and Latino workers. Accordingly, two of the Cities, Gary and Columbia have an African American mayor who is a member of AAMA. In addition, Long Beach is lead by a Latino mayor, who is a member of NALEO Educational Fund, a partner on the project.
The Assessment will identify growth industries and skill and training gaps in the Cities and offer guidance to the Cities that will facilitate relevant curriculum revisions and adaption of workforce-training opportunities. Specifically, the Assessment will include: (The list below will be a bulleted list)
◦ A comprehensive analysis of each city’s existing education and training resources and needs;
◦ An analysis of trends related to the risk of unemployment due to automation, nonstandard and unpredictable work hours (“gig economy”), compensation, duration of employment and unemployment spells, and gender and age;
◦ An assessment of job growth and loss as well as company, factory, and plant openings and closings; and
◦ An analysis of opportunities for industry growth will be based on projections such as: industry growth in the Cities; growth that may be complementary to growth taking place in proximate cities and towns; or growth that is consistent with state or federal funding initiatives.
AAMA will work with our lead partner on the project, the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice at Harvard Law School to share the Assessment at relevant gatherings of mayors including but not limited to a forum a Harvard in 2019, the 2019 AAMA Annual conference; regional meetings of African American Mayors; and at events hosted by strategic partners.
Economic Mobility Leadership Institute
AAMA’s Economic Mobility Leadership Institute (EMLI) is a premiere 12-month program, paid through a grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, for a select group of outstanding AAMA member-mayors; designed to provide mayors with the tools to convene life-changing financial literacy forums and develop strategies that increase long-term economic mobility for their respective communities. Participants will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to define economic mobility, apply leading tools and insights to their cities, and create financial literacy forums, including but not limited to topics such as home ownership, insurance, land use/appraisals, student loans, trusts and wills, and wealth management. The focus of EMLI is wealth creation and developing the necessary tools for poverty reduction.
