Dept Of Labor Grants Millions For Chicago Latino Job Skills Improvement

Chicago, IL—NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, applauds the U.S. Department of Labor for investing in health care training programs in high-need Chicago communities. The $3.4 million award will be used to fund theCarreras en Salud program, providing low-income, low-skilled Latinos with a structured but flexible, multientry career pathway to skilled nursing and allied- healthcare occupations. “Latinos have been overrepresented in high-unemployment occupations in this and other industries. These types of programs provide entry-level workers with high-demand skills. Latinos represent a growing and needed pool of future health care workers in this rapidly expanding industry, even while the labor force in many other industries is shrinking,” said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía. “NCLR is thankful to Secretary Solis and the Department of Labor for supporting the Carreras en Salud program, enabling Latinos to find quality jobs that help lift their families out of poverty.”

Carreras en Salud offers integrated services to overcome barriers to employment and career advancement such as job training, career counseling, and assistance in job placement. The program represents a workforce partnership between NCLR and its Chicago-based Affiliates- Instituto del Progreso Latino and Association House of Chicago (AHC), and the community college partner Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center (HPVEC) of Wilbur Wright College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. Services will be easily accessible, as all three partners are located in Latino communities—HPVEC and AHC in the Humboldt Park/West Town area, and Instituto del Progreso Latino in the Pilsen neighborhood (lower west side). The grant is an important step on the path to economic recovery in communities that have been hit hardest by the economic recession. Rising unemployment continues to disproportionately affect minority communities. The unemployment rate in December was 16.2% for Blacks and 12.9% for Latinos, compared to 10% nationwide.

Preparing workers for the jobs that are readily accessible is essential to narrowing the employment gap between minority and nonminority workers. These important investments must be accompanied by a bold strategy to create jobs in communities of color. Doing so will mean the difference between a strong economic recovery and a jobless tomorrow.

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