Project Grant 23A60WD000002

PROGRAM PURPOSE AWARD PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM IS TO SUPPORT TRANSFORMATIVE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE JOB QUALITY AND AVAILABILITY OF GOOD JOBS, PARTICULARLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT IN GOOD JOBS. THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THESE DEMONSTRATION GRANTS IS EXPANDING JOB QUALITY IN THE CARE, CLIMATE RESILIENCY, AND HOSPITALITY SECTORS. THIS IS A TIER 2 IMPLEMENTATION GRANT TO IMPLEMENT SPECIFIC WORKER-CENTERED SECTOR STRATEGIES THAT WILL IMPROVE JOB QUALITY WITHIN THE CARE, CLIMATE RESILIENCY, AND HOSPITALITY SECTORS.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: CIVIC WORKS IS A JOB TRAINING PROVIDER IN BALTIMORE CITY WHICH HAS BEEN TRAINING UN- AND UNDER-EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT IN ENTRY-LEVEL AND INCUMBENT SOLAR TECHNICIAN WORK FOR 7 YEARS. IN THIS WORK THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED A LARGE NETWORK OF SOLAR INDUSTRY EMPLOYER PARTNERS. THEY WILL BE LEVERAGING THESE RELATIONSHIPS TO ENGAGE 10 EMPLOYERS IN AN IN-DEPTH JOB QUALITY TRANSFORMATION PROCESS. THIS PROCESS WILL BEGIN WITH A NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF EACH INDIVIDUAL WORKPLACE CONDUCTED BY SURVEYING EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES TO ESTABLISH A BASELINE AND DETERMINE AREAS OF JOB QUALITY CONCERN. WITH THIS INFORMATION, CIVIC WORKS WILL DEVELOP JOB QUALITY INTERVENTION PROPOSALS WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED TO A FOCUS GROUP OF EMPLOYEES AND CIVIC WORKS SOLAR GRADUATES. CIVIC WORKS WILL TAILOR THE INTERVENTIONS BASED ON FOCUS GROUP FEEDBACK AND THEN SUPPORT EMPLOYERS IN IMPLEMENTING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS WILL AGAIN BE SURVEYED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE INTERVENTIONS. CIVIC WORKS WILL PRODUCE CASE STUDIES TO REPORT ON ITS JOB QUALITY FINDINGS.DELIVERABLES EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 240 PLANNED PARTICIPANTSINTENDED BENEFICIARIES: INCUMBENT SOLAR WORKERS AND HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED CITIZENS OF BALTIMORE CITY WHO ARE OVERREPRESENTED IN LOW WAGE WORK AND ARE EXPERIENCING BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT, SUCH AS PEOPLE OF COLOR, JUSTICE-IMPACTED INDIVIDUALS, AND OTHER POPULATIONS EXPERIENCING BARRIERS THAT HINDER MOVEMENT INTO MIDDLE- TO HIGH- SKILLED OCCUPATIONS IN THE SOLAR SECTOR.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES ARE ALLOWABLE UNDER THIS AWARD TO CARRYOUT PROJECT ACTIVITIES.