LADWP Training Program Provides Power — and Good Jobs — to the People

For women looking to acquire new jobs skills, access to childcare can transform their opportunities. Generations Advancing Together through Education is a Boston-based program that provides job training for women along with free childcare, with the goal of placing the women in higher-paid employment. So far, 45 women have benefitted from the program.

Two federally-funded Seattle tech training programs tasked with increasing diversity in the industry returned dramatically different results over the course of one year. Experts credit Apprenti's employer-driven nature, use of an online screening tool, and close ties with the local tech community with its relative success in placing 220 people in apprenticeships in its first 18 months. 94 percent of applicants to Aprenti's program were women, veterans, or persons of color, with only 55 percent holding a post-secondary degree.

The "Next" Project in Greenville, South Carolina brings local government and companies together to create a business incubator to encourage new startups to launch -- and stay -- in the area. One such business, called the Iron Yard, acts as a sort of code academy, offering a 3-month bootcamp and guaranteeing that graduates of their program will find a job in the industry. So far, they've followed through on that guarantee.

Jordan is dealing with an influx of Syrian refugees that are putting a strain on already scarce resources like water. In response, the United Nations World Food Program has started to grow barley and other foods hydroponically in a process that uses 90% less water than traditional methods. Beyond the innovations in the lab, new technology is also allowing refugees to shop freely in local supermarkets and use their irises—checked with eye scans—to pay for their groceries from their given funds. This eliminates the threat of theft and is improving food access across Jordan.

To replace lost business and keep their employees on staff, Tasmanian businesses quickly diversified into new product lines to meet COVID-19-related demand. A camera accessories firm that saw nearly all of its sales to the film and TV industries dry up became a manufacturer of face shields. A plastic manufacturer increased its business by turning out acrylic counter-top protective screens. And a whiskey distillery began producing 2,000 liters of hand sanitizer per week.

More than 2,700 police departments in the U.S. have crisis intervention teams aimed at responding to mental health crises with fewer arrests and less violence, but the death of Daniel Prude in Rochester police custody offers clear lessons in the shortcomings and misuse of the CIT model. A lack of adequate mental health services across the country, coupled with superficial training of the police, too often means a police response to a crisis will not de-escalate the situation or lead to meaningful help for the person in crisis. A recent study found CITs have not shown they will lower violence.

Grants for women living in refugee camps have helped recipients start businesses and learn new skills, allowing them to improve their quality of life. Additionally, the women created an informal cooperative and take turns investing a percentage of proceeds from each successful business into another member’s business.

Employers like the St. Partick Clinic in South Sudan are hiring based on attitude and trainability instead of technical skills and knowledge to find employees that are trustworthy and reliable.

The Golden Girls shelter has been providing meals, medical aid, and other support services for women with children who are experiencing homelessness. Since the Golden Girls living space opened, the program has served a total of 50 women ranging in age from the early 50s to late 70s. While at the shelter, staff members help them complete paperwork so they can receive Social Security payments, pensions, or alimony, and apply for affordable housing. They’re also provided medical care, counseling, and assistance finding jobs.

The Society for Family Health developed a digital learning curriculum that intends to improve the knowledge base and train healthcare providers on how to properly administer hormonal IUDs. The digital training is available on the global learning platform Kaya and has proved to not only be more convenient and accessible, but is also more cost effective than traditional, in-person training.