Bridges to Work Demonstration

Baltimore Site
Chicago Site
Denver Site
Milwaukee Site
St. Louis Site

BALTIMORE SITE

Project Manager

Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition (HEBCAC), a community-based organization and Baltimore Empowerment Zone "Village Center"

Local Partners

Mayor's Office of Employment Development (MOED), the city's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Service Delivery Area (SDA)

Yellow Transportation, Inc. (a private, for-profit, metrowide transit provider)

BWI (Baltimore-Washington International Airport) Business Partnership (an economic and transportation management association)

Jubilee Jobs, Inc. (a private, nonprofit employment counseling/job placement service)

Genesis Jobs, Inc. (a private, nonprofit employment counseling/job placement service)

The Local Design

Origin. Neighborhoods in and around HEBCAC's East Baltimore catchment area; intersects generally with boundaries of the eastern section of the city's Empowerment Zone; includes more than 600 units of public housing.

Destination. BWI Airport Business District, which has 125,000 jobs -- nearly one-third of all jobs in the Baltimore region (which has experienced 25 percent average job growth since 1987); and Baltimore's Fairfield Empowerment Zone.

Placement. HEBCAC to broker expanded city-suburb relationships; will manage job development and placement activities for Bridges to Work (BtW) referral partners in conjunction with MOED's East Side Career (one-stop shopping) Center.

Targeted Commute. Near-direct service via vanpools from origin neighborhoods to suburban destinations. Vans to be leased/purchased and managed by HEBCAC; service to be provided by an experienced, private transportation company (Yellow Transportation); BtW participants to pay a portion of the fare.

Support Services. Pre- and post-employment counseling, crisis intervention/conflict resolution counseling, and child care referrals to be provided by BtW staff and partner agencies; guaranteed emergency rides home to be provided by local taxi companies.

Linkages to Other Federal Initiatives

• The Baltimore Empowerment Zone.
• JTPA (one-stop service center) programs.
• Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Job Opportunities Basic Skills (JOBS) programs.

For information about BtW in Baltimore, contact Scot T. Spencer, Director of Physical Development, Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition, Inc., (410) 614-4218.

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CHICAGO SITE

Project Manager

Suburban JobLink, Inc. (a private, not-for-profit employment service and transportation program)

Local Partners

Chicago Jobs Council (a public policy reform and program development coalition)

Mayor's Office of Employment and Training (MOET), the city's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Service Delivery Area (SDA)

Cook County President's Office of Employment and Training

Pace Suburban Bus Company (regional transit provider for Chicago's metropolitan area)

Private Industry Council of Cook County (a county JTPA SDA)

Community Workshop on Economic Development, represents Chicago's federally designated Empowerment Zone

The Local Design

Origin. The Bridges to Work (BtW) "scale site," with a mandate to place as many as 1,000-1,500 workers in new suburban jobs. Eighteen communities in the city, nearly all of the city's West Side, and a corridor along the Dan Ryan Expressway on the South Side; origin includes nearly 9,500 public housing units.

Destination. O'Hare Airport industrial complex and adjacent suburbs, with 1,300 or more jobs added during 1993-94, and posted overall job gains for the period that established record employment growth in the area.

Placement. BtW job developers and case managers linking participants to jobs through traditional employer contact methods (direct mail, telemarketing), the Oasis job database, leads obtained from BtW alliance members, and by "word of mouth."

Targeted Commute. A mix of transportation modes that include BtW-provided express bus service and vanpool service provided by Pace Suburban Bus Company.

Support Services. Guaranteed emergency rides home, Oasis-provided job-retention services, and participant referrals to child care and other support services.

Linkages to Other Federal Initiatives

• Public housing.
• Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Job Opportunities Basic Skills (JOBS) programs operated by the Illinois Department of Public Aid.
• Cook County JTPA SDA (one-stop service centers).
• Head Start delegate agencies.

For information about BtW in Chicago, contact John Plunkett, Executive Director, Suburban JobLink Corporation, (708) 595-0010.

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DENVER SITE

Project Manager

Mayor's Office of Employment and Training (MOET), the city's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Service Delivery Area (SDA)

Local Partners

Regional Transportation District (RTD), the Denver metropolitan area's public transit provider

Arapahoe County Employment and Training (county JTPA SDA)

Denver Regional Council of Governments, the Denver area's Metropolitan Planning Organization

Curtis Park Community Center (CPCC), the lead Bridges to Work (BtW) community-based organization

Southeast Denver and Douglas County Economic Development Council (SEDC, an economic development association and BtW's employer liaison)

The Local Design

Origin. Denver's Five Points/Curtis Park section, located in the city's 10-year-old Enterprise Zone, and Old Aurora, located partly in the Denver portion of Adams County and partly in Arapahoe County; origin includes seven public housing complexes.

Destination. Denver Technological Center, located in southeast Denver and Douglas County, which has the fastest overall industrial and business development growth in the region.

Placement. SEDC and MOET determine employer needs and market BtW to employers. BtW job developers, housed at SEDC's Tech Center offices, secure and communicate job orders to the BtW Center (at CPCC). BtW placement staff based at the BtW Center match applicant with job order and coordinate ongoing links with employers.

Targeted Commute. Three options (based on participant need and project capacity): RTD public transit service (express bus), circulator van and transit service, and dedicated vanpool. Rides to be "targeted" between BtW origin and destination according to participant proximity to bus stops, child care, and other essential services. BtW riders to receive free monthly ride pass, called ECO-Pass.

Support Services. Guaranteed emergency rides home, child care referrals and limited subsidies, diversity training for employers and employees, and transportation planning assistance.

Linkages to Other Federal Initiatives

• JTPA SDAs (city and county).
• Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) (Denver Family Job Opportunities Basic Skills (JOBS) Opportunity program).
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (public housing-based employment and social services programs).
• Youth Fair Chance Programs (northwest and northeast Denver).

For information about BtW in Denver, contact David Ford, Senior Planner, Mayor's Office of Employment Training, (303) 893-3382.

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MILWAUKEE SITE

Project Manager

Private Industry Council of Milwaukee County, the city's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Service Delivery Area (SDA)

Local Partners

Private Industry Councils of Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington Counties (WOW PIC)

Milwaukee County Department of Human Resources

Washington County Economic Development Corporation (employer liaison)

Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services

Milwaukee County Department of Human Services

Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Milwaukee Job Center Network (one-stop job centers and Bridges to Work (BtW) intake and recruitment sites)

The Local Design

Origin. Takes in 16 ZIP Codes in Milwaukee's north, south, and central neighborhoods. Includes the city's Community Development Block Grant jurisdiction and contains more than 4,700 units of public housing.

Destination. Two targets: Washington and Waukesha Counties; both high-growth areas and rich sources for difficult-to-fill, entry-level jobs. Each has a good mix of employment distribution and is within reasonable commuting distance of BtW origin.

Placement. All placement functions (eligibility and placement-readiness determination, employment plan development, BtW orientation) fully integrated across the Milwaukee County and WOW PICs via Milwaukee Job Center Network. Also, WOW PIC to link suburban employers and city job seekers in Milwaukee via the State job service's automated matching system.

Targeted Commute. Bus or van service (depending on residence, rider density, and location) contracted to private operators, as in Wisconsin's JobRide program. Near-direct service involves pickup and dropoff at strategic origin and destination sites.

Support Services. Child care assistance, guaranteed emergency rides home, counseling for participants and employers, and orientation and mapping to and from the suburbs.

Linkages to Other Federal Initiatives

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) public housing programs.
• JTPA SDA (one-stop service centers).
• JobRide.
• Wagner-Peyser programs.

For information about BtW in Milwaukee, contact Angie Serwe-Turner, Facilitator, Private Industry Council of Milwaukee, (414) 225-0931.

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ST. LOUIS SITE

Project Manager

East-West Gateway Coordinating Council (the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Missouri-Illinois St. Louis region)

Local Partners

St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment, one of the region's seven Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Service Delivery Areas (SDAs)

Bi-State Development Agency (key regional public transit agency)

Division of Employment and Training, St. Louis County Department of Human Services (one of the region's seven JTPA SDAs)

Missouri Department of Social Services (statewide welfare reform agency)

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (a key community-based organization)

Economic Council of St. Louis County (regional economic development agency)

Missouri FUTURES Program (the State's Job Opportunities Basic Skills (JOBS) program)

The Local Design

Origin. Two sectors: portions of north St. Louis County, and the greater north side of the city of St. Louis. Currently 3,000 residents and 4,500 public housing units are served by JTPA, JOBS, the Urban League, and other training programs.

Destination. Portion of the I-64 corridor in west St. Louis County, surrounding job-rich "Chesterfield Valley," anchoring the Spirit of St. Louis Airport (with 2,000 jobs); an additional 2,000 jobs in nearby industrial, hotel, and health services development.

Placement. Coordinated between Bridges to Work (BtW) job coach/case manager (develops transportation and support services plans) and BtW job developer (determines employer needs, secures job orders, and oversees job referrals and employer followups).

Targeted Commute. BtW transportation between origin and destination to include fixed route, express bus service provided by the Bi-State Development Agency, augmented by circulator vans provided by the St. Louis chapter of the American Red Cross.

Support Services. Counseling and diversity education for participants and/or employers, temporary child care subsidies, partial transit subsidies, and guaranteed emergency rides home.

Linkages to Other Federal Initiatives

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) public housing programs.
• City and county JTPA programs and Private Industry Councils (PICs).
• Welfare reform efforts via city, county, and State Job Opportunities Basic Skills (JOBS) programs.

U.S. Department of Transportation via St. Louis Regional Transportation Improvement Program.

For information about BtW in St. Louis, contact Blair Forlaw, Director of Policy and Programming, East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, (314) 421-4220.