Durham Joins National Project to Boost High-Quality Jobs
Results For America and the Families and Workers Fund Helping Communities Use Federal Recovery Funds to Improve Job Quality
City of Durham staff will soon be better equipped to apply an equity lens in how investments are allocated to create higher quality jobs in the Bull City, particularly for historically underserved communities.
The City has been selected to participate in Results for America's Good Jobs & Equity Project, a new effort supported by the Families and Workers Fund, to help state, local and tribal governments use federal recovery investments from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to improve job quality and advance workforce equity.
Durham is among 20 jurisdictions from across the U.S. that was chosen to join the national project, which was created to empower public sector leaders with the evidence, strategies, networks, technical assistance, and practical implementation tools to improve the quality of work in their communities.
Durham’s participation in the project will be led by staff from the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the City’s Equity and Inclusion Department. “Durham’s economy is rapidly growing – the jobs of the future are being created here right now. Public investments through the ARP and Families and Workers Fund will serve the City’s longtime commitment to equitable growth and prosperity,” said Director Andre Pettigrew with the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “Durham’s challenge is not just about creating good jobs; it is to ensure that we more effectively train our residents and connect them to these jobs, and give them the capacity to advance into long-term careers. We are excited to accelerate our knowledge as part of the Good Jobs & Equity Project.”
The Good Jobs & Equity Project was created to support communities in using data and evidence to invest in creating higher quality jobs in their communities, particularly for historically underserved residents. Participants will review what makes a good job, taking into consideration not just basic needs or economic drivers, but also impacts to the worker outside of compensation, benefits, and safety—all with a direct link to equity.
“Results for America is thrilled to work with a few select communities to develop new data-driven models to create higher quality jobs—jobs that are fundamental to the long-term growth and prosperity of communities,” said Results for America’s Vice President and Local Practice Lead Zachary Markovits. “This is an historic opportunity to reimagine and rebuild a more equitable society.”
Through the project, Durham will join with other jurisdictions from across the country to meet with national experts and receive hands-on learning, personal coaching, and ready-made resources that are designed to equip leaders with the knowledge and tools to invest in evidenced-based job quality programs with existing ARP or IIJA funding. As part of this project, Durham leaders will develop a deeper understanding of the historical connection between job quality, equity and discrimination, and identify opportunities to create change. The first phase of the project begins this month and runs through November 2022.
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