Dallas to Offer Job Training for Low-Moderate Income Households
Dallas City Council will vote on a new program aimed at providing job training to individuals most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and those with low to moderate incomes. The Upskilling Dallas Program will be the name of this new initiative, with Dallas College and Metrocare Services being the institutions tasked with carrying it out if approved.
The city’s small business center evaluated various proposals from organizations that could provide skills and workforce training, as well as employment opportunities in fields such as information technology and telecommunications. The aim of the program is to help participants obtain a living wage, which the program defines as $17.82 per hour.
Dallas residents with incomes between 65% and 80% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines would qualify for the program. Eligibility would also be provided to homes that qualify for the Children’s Health Insurance Program or child care subsidies through the Child Care Development Fund Program or Medicaid. Other households in need due to issues such as unemployment, food or housing insecurity can also qualify.
The Upskilling Dallas Program would allow individuals to receive additional job training to support their search for a more sustainable and permanent job. This program could make a significant difference in the lives of many individuals who have been struggling to support themselves and their families in difficult and uncertain times.
The American Rescue Plan Act would provide half a million dollars in funding for this program. The City Council approved funding for the program when it passed the 2021-22 budget in September 2021. Two months after the budget was approved, a report commissioned by Mayor Eric Johnson was released with four recommendations on how to improve workforce development in the city. The report was named “Upskilling Dallas.”
The consulting firm Cicero Group produced the report, highlighting the need for more programs to develop skills for working-aged adults. According to the report, while programs exist to help young adults develop job skills, individuals between the ages of 25 and 65 who often have families, financial pressures, and time constraints lack similar opportunities to continue their growth, change careers or learn new skills. The report recommended that the city appoint someone to carry out these recommendations, establish partnerships with workforce development organizations, use the mayor to promote existing upskilling programs, and simplify program navigation digitally.
In January 2022, Mayor Johnson named Lynn McBee as the city’s new workforce czar to carry out the recommendations in the Upskilling Dallas report. With this new UpSkilling Dallas Program initiative, the city hopes to establish a roadmap to help residents develop job skills and build a sustainable workforce for future economic growth.
