Walls and Ceilings News

Southern Dallas Thrives & Hilti North America Women’s Workforce Initiative- Project Plan Overview

Program Summary

In southern Dallas, close to 30 percent of residents and 41 percent of children are living in poverty. The unemployment rate is more than triple that of Dallas county. The Women's Workforce Initiative will help drive economic mobility by directly impacting the earning potential of women who lack access to the quality, equitable paying jobs obtained by their male counterparts.

Southern Dallas Thrives' Women's Workforce Initiative is a cross-functional collaboration of funders, employers, and training providers that will work to create innovative solutions for moving entry-level workers into middle-skilled jobs and ensure employers have a pipeline of skilled and ready to-work employees.

The Women’s Workforce component of Southern Dallas Thrives will provide job training in high-growth industries to women in southern Dallas over the next three years. Training will focus on construction-related pathways, soft skills development, and industry certifications. In collaboration with Pathways to Work, SDT will leverage this opportunity through a specific focus on southern Dallas to equip women with the training and skills they need to attain middle-skill jobs and help employers develop and keep a pipeline of skilled workers.

The Women’s Workforce Initiative will advance employer engagement, aid women in accessing quality positions, and equity strategies that will result in deeper employer partnerships, more workers on career pathways, and improved job access. These factors aid in the overall commitment to helping Black and Latin-X women access better jobs leading to increased

workforce equity.

Key Performance Indicators

10 under or unemployed women will increase their workforce readiness annually by participating in job readiness and workforce programs within a defined construction industry career pathway, inclusive of career navigation and supportive services, employer and career pathway champions, and credentialed training and certification development.

Inputs

Continuously identify and seek out high growth jobs with increased earning potential and long- term career paths.
Identify & recruit potential employees who need training or retraining in a highly competitive market.
Provide highly important soft skills training for potential employees.
Provide trainees with wrap around services, removing barriers to completion and success.
Providing training in technical skills making potential employees more marketable to employers.
Hire career navigator, who will be responsible for assisting and directing the participants' successful completion of her training plan in preparation for job readiness.
Provides additional career and case management supportive services to participating clients as needed.

Outcomes

Number of women enrolled in training
Number of women completed training
Number of certifications earned
Number of women placed in jobs
Number of women retained in jobs at 30, 90- and 180-day mark
Number of participants who access and utilize wrap-around
Number of women who achieved one of the following indicators of advancement: promotion along identified career path, increased hourly wage or salary, increase in hours worked each month, improved working conditions (secured better hours or benefits)

Program Scope