National Council of La Raza: Topics

Employment and Economic Opportunities

Employment and Economic Opportunities Related Content Related Publications (42) Related News Items (163) Related Events (4) Related FAQs (3) Related Viewpoints (45)

MISSION

The National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) Workforce Development Program seeks to ensure the Latino community’s ability to contribute to and share in the nation’s economic opportunities.

OVERVIEW

NCLR’s efforts focus on increasing Latinos’ entry into the workforce, creating career pathways, and promoting career mobility. NCLR’s workforce development program bridges the education and skills gap to advance Latino workers from low-wage, low-skills occupations to more advanced, upwardly mobile careers. To undertake this work, NCLR leverages its expertise and resources and establishes impact-oriented partnerships with Affiliates and strategic partners in areas with significant or growing Hispanic populations. Together, NCLR and its Affiliates serve as the link between local employers, direct service providers, and job seekers within their communities, and they collaborate to support local sustainability.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

NCLR Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success: Funded by the PepsiCo Foundation, the NCLR Escalera Program is designed to promote economic mobility for Latino youth by increasing educational attainment, career planning, and access to information about well-paying careers. NCLR Affiliate partners include AltaMed Health Services Corporation in Los Angeles, Instituto del Progreso Latino in Chicago, Promesa Systems, Inc. in New York, Guadalupe Centers, Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri, American YouthWorks in Austin, and the Knowledge is Power Program in Houston.

NCLR Health Care Career Pathways Initiative: This initiative works to strengthen existing Affiliate projects by incorporating strategies like contextualized curriculum and bridge programs that support the upward mobility and skills acquisition of Latinos in the health care industry. NCLR has established partnerships with the Unity Council in Oakland, California and Instituto del Progreso Latino in Chicago.

NCLR Customer Service and Retail Program: NCLR is analyzing and supporting programs in industries in which Hispanic workers are highly represented but tend to remain at the bottom of the career and wage ladder. Currently, Latinos compose 12% of retail salespersons and 14% of customer service representatives. NCLR is exploring strategies to ensure that programs support relevant skills acquisition and career mobility. The NCLR/The Home Depot (THD) National Hispanic Hiring Partnership was established to assist THD in meeting their need for qualified, skilled associates ranging from entry-level to store management positions while THD provides quality employment and career opportunities for Latinos. Affiliate partners include Para Los Niños in Los Angeles, Instituto del Progreso Latino in Chicago, and Promesa Systems, Inc. in New York.

Research and Demonstration Programs: Through its research, demonstration programs, Affiliate peer exchanges, and capacity-building technical assistance, WFD strengthens community-based organizations’ ability to become effective labor market intermediaries and better serve the Latino community and industries in demand of a skilled workforce.

HIGHLIGHTS

Nearly 100 Latinos have been trained in 2006-2007 for various positions in the health care industry, including certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, medical assistants, and dental assistants. Participants graduating from advanced levels of the program increased their wages by an average of 150%.

To date, 96% of program participants have completed the Escalera Program and graduated from high school, and 94% of those graduating seniors have been accepted into post-secondary institutions. The NCLR Escalera Program’s holistic approach to after-school programming, effective case management, positive peer influences, access to broader educational and career networks, and development of 21st century applied skills for academic and career access have contributed to the program’s tremendous success.

Related Programs

Hispanic Affinity and Network Groups: Making the Connection in Corporate America: NCLR and Sodexho announced the release of a resource guide to document Latino diversity groups within Corporate America. The guide is one of the first to provide a glimpse into these groups across many of America’s industry sectors and aims to connect corporations and employees with one another as well as Hispanic community groups working to improve the quality of life for Hispanics.
NCLR Health Care Career Pathways Initiative: NCLR is testing and documenting career pathway strategies to help incumbent Latino workers acquire training in allied health care careers to attain economic self-sufficiency.
NCLR Customer Service and Retail Program: NCLR is exploring stategies that support upward economic mobility through job training programs in the Customer Service and Retail industry.
NCLR AmeriCorps: AmeriCorps strengthens communities through projects that address education, public safety, the environment, and other unmet human needs. NCLR AmeriCorps members serve at local nonprofits, public agencies, and faith-based organizations, helping to build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility. Through their service, members gain valuable job skills and experience and earn an education award to pursue a college education or pay back student loans.
Affiliate Awards Program: The Affiliate Member Services (AMS) administers annually two separate awards for NCLR Affiliates: the Family Strengthening Awards and the Affiliate of the Year Award.
NCLR Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success: The NCLR Escalera Program encourages Latino high school students to graduate from high school, prepare for college, and explore and take advantage of career opportunities in fields in demand.

Related Policies

Federal Policies

The Federal Budget: Given the importance of the federal budget for America’s communities, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) recognizes that it is essential for Latinos to be engaged in the dialogue, which shapes national budget priorities.
Transportation Policy (TEA-21): Congress is currently working to reauthorize the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21). TEA-21 guides federal spending on transportation programs, services, and projects, and includes job training measures to increase career opportunities in the transportation industry.
Welfare to Work: The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 fundamentally altered the nation’s primary cash assistance program for families by ending the entitlement to welfare services. Agencies moved away from a centralized system to a more flexible system. Increased flexibility in the TANF system allows caseworkers to tailor services to the needs of individual families but, for Latinos and persons with limited English proficiency (LEP), also increases the probability for differential services and discriminatory treatment.
Workforce Investment Act (WIA): WIA is the major source of federal funding for most employment and training programs, including job training, adult basic education, and English-as-a-Second-Language classes. As such, WIA-funded programs are essential, providing opportunities for Latinos to increase their language fluency and skill sets, enabling them to move up the economic ladder.