Should Portland direct funding for the Workforce Pre-Apprenticeship Program and a SummerWorks Youth Employment Initiative?

WHEREAS, the City of Portland acknowledges the urgent need to provide equitable employment opportunities and accessible career pathways for all community members; andWHEREAS, investing in workforce development is crucial for fostering economic growth and mitigating workforce shortages in essential sectors; andWHEREAS, pre-apprenticeship programs play a critical role in enabling individuals to acquire the skills, training, and support required to excel in registered apprenticeship programs; andWHEREAS, the City of Portland is dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across its workforce; andWHEREAS, Prosper Portland manages the Community Opportunities and Enhancements Program (COEP), which receives its funding through an intergovernmental agreement between the City and Prosper Portland; andWHEREAS, the City’s current FY 2024-25 budget allocated approximately $2.6 million for COEP; Council hopes that this funding will continue through FY 2025-26 under that intergovernmental agreement; andWHEREAS, in 2009, the City helped establish a fund the SummerWorks program, an initiative that places Portland-area young adults in summer jobs, helping them gain vital work experience and fostering skills development; andWHEREAS, this financial support is essential for construction projects and similar labor-intensive initiatives including the Sidewalk Improvement Project and Paving Program (SIPP), the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR), the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project, and the Bull Run Filtration Project; andWHEREAS, just these construction projects alone are expected to contribute about $15 billion in the city’s infrastructure and economy and generate about 22,000 construction jobs (according to a 2024 Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Infrastructure Workforce Market Study); andWHEREAS, this projected growth in public projects indicates a demand for 3,800 apprentices, 4,700 workers of color (including both journey-level and apprentices), and 2,500 women workers (including both journey-level and apprentices); andWHEREAS, the current supply of skilled labor falls short, revealing a deficit of approximately 300 workers of color, 1,100 women workers, and nearly 1,300 apprentices to adequately meet the needs for all trades within the region for public projects; andWHEREAS, this analysis does not account for any private construction demands that may elevate the need for skilled labor even further; andNOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Portland City Council considers the Community Opportunities and Enhancements Program critical to the City’s mission to provide employment opportunities within the City of Portland and the broader community. COEP should receive enough funding to continue for at least the next several years; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Council believes that the SummerWorks Youth Employment Initiative should continue to offer summer and year-round employment opportunities for Portland's youth, helping them gain vital work experience and fostering skills development; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Council hopes to allocate funding to SummerWorks in the FY 2025-26 City budget at a level sufficient to meet Portland’s workforce needs in the future;BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City shall establish objectives for both the COEP and the SummerWorks program. Those objectives include, but are not limited to:Delivering high-quality training opportunities across a variety of trades and sectors.Assisting participants in obtaining industry-recognized certifications.Fostering collaborations with local businesses, labor unions, and educational institutions to enhance the effectiveness of the programs.Executing outreach efforts to engage and recruit a diverse array of participants.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the SummerWorks Youth Employment Initiative will be operated by Worksystems, Inc. and will remain within the Bureau of Human Resources; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, an advisory committee shall be formed to provide strategic guidance and support for the operations and objectives of the Programs; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Worksystems Inc. shall deliver an annual report to Prosper Portland and the City Council detailing the Programs’ accomplishments, demographics of participants, outcomes, and potential areas for enhancement.