Fiscal Note
No appropriation is necessary.
Title
Recognizing and commending the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation for its recent grant of $300,000 to support efforts by the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and the Urban League of Greater Madison to expand job training and internships for youth and adults in the Madison area.
Body
Whereas, despite recent improvements in the U.S. job market, and the particular strength shown in Madison and Dane County, the ability to secure gainful employment or develop the skills and experience necessary to improve employment prospects is not uniformly available to members of low-income households, and
Whereas, there is compelling evidence to suggest that providing high school-aged youth a quality employment experience can help develop a solid foundation upon which to achieve future academic and career success; and
Whereas, there is further reason to believe that a strategy of addressing the goals of both youth and adults in low-income households with respect to acquiring job training, career development and employment opportunities creates an environment more likely to yield long-term success in breaking the cycle of poverty, and
Whereas, a variety of non-profit organizations and private employers in Madison play important roles to help unemployed or underemployed persons improve their employment and career prospects, or work to promote career exploration, provide various forms of mentoring and make employment and internship opportunities available to area youth; and
Whereas, the City supports many of these activities, including through the commitment of over $500,000 annually, toward adult workforce preparedness and employment efforts including the collaborative efforts embodied in the Construction Employment Training Initiative and the Transitional Employment Project, and ongoing work carried out in partnership with the Urban League of Greater Madison, the YWCA, the Vera Latino Academy of Workforce Development, Construction Training Inc., the Vera Caminando Juntas Pre-Employment Program, Omega School, the Madison Urban Ministry, the Literacy Network, Lussier Community Center's BEATS Program, Kennedy Heights Neighborhood Center, Goodman Community Center and River Food Pantry, and
Whereas, the City partners with or supports a broad array of youth-focused employment and career development activities undertaken by organizations including Centro Hispano, Common Wealth Development, Briarpatch, the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, Operation Fresh Start and the Simpson Street Free Press, some of which include the active involvement of local employers; and
Whereas, the City also offers direct internship opportunities to high school-aged youth through the Wanda Fullmore Summer Youth Internship Program; and
Whereas the Rennebohm Foundation, a major local philanthropic organization, which was founded in 1949 and is focused on supporting projects that enhance the community and disadvantaged populations, has announced plans to further expand these efforts with a generous donation of $300,000 to a collaborative effort to be undertaken by the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and the Urban League of Greater Madison; and
Whereas, the Rennebohm Foundation's award will enable the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and the Urban League of Greater Madison to partner on a three-year project that will work with both young people and their parents in low-income households to explore career paths, gain professional skills and gain access to quality employment opportunities; and
Whereas, through the use of this grant, the Boys and Girls Club plans to provide more than 600 paid internships over the next three years, and the Urban League hopes to secure new or better paying jobs for 1,500 Madison-area adults by 2020.
Now Therefore Be It Resolved that the Mayor and the Madison Common Council recognize and commend the Rennebohm Foundation for its recent commitment of resources toward helping to reduce unemployment among low-income residents in the Madison area,
And Be It Further Resolved that the Mayor and Common Council congratulate the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and the Urban League of Greater Madison on receipt of this award and thank them, as well as all of the businesses that will partner with them, in this latest endeavor to expand the community's efforts to enhance employment and career opportunities for low-income families.