Albuquerque Interfaith Instrumental in Passage of School Bond

Albuquerque Interfaith leaders breathed a sigh of relief when the official votes came in with more than 65% of the voting public casting ballots in support of a $575 Million bond package. Overall, voter turnout was double the average for similar elections.
Read moreNew Study Verifies JobPath Training in Tucson Works
An economic impact study examined almost 400 people who graduated from JobPath in the last five years to track their progress. They found that the vast majority of people who graduated from JobPath still have a job five years later in the Tucson area, and that many have tripled or even quadrupled their pre-training wage.
Said Applied Economics researcher Sarah Murley, "That is a huge increase over a relatively short period of time." JobPath was established by Pima County Interfaith as part of a multi-pronged living wage strategy.
Read moreCapital IDEA Expands with 'Career Expressway'
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"As far as Michael Brown is concerned, he wasn't supposed to be here.
COPS / Metro Secures Funding for Open Cloud Academy

Of these graduates, 221 were supported by Project Quest through City funds secured by COPS / Metro leaders. COPS / Metro's intervention to secure local funding put Project Quest on the cutting edge of bootcamp training for IT workers in San Antonio.
Read moreValley Interfaith Leverages New Funding for VIDA

Specifically, the City Council of Raymondville approved $28,0000 in Economic Development Corporation funds to expand VIDA's workforce training into their city. Said Mayor Gilbert Gonzales, "Education is a big thing...it improves our community with better-paying jobs."
Read moreBishop Kicanas Endorses County Bond, PCIC Educates Pastors

PCIC leaders soon followed up with a civic academy for 40 pastors of 8 denominations, in addition to twenty more scheduled at individual congregations, libraries and community centers. The intent of the civic academies is to educate voters about the potential community benefit of the seven proposed bonds, as well as the costs. This is part of a long running campaign to expand workforce development opportunities offered by JobPath.
Read moreValley Interfaith Saves $290K in Funding for VIDA Job Training

One commissioner, despite professing to having his "heart touched by the testimony of the students" told leaders that he might consider an investment of $50K (as opposed to the $290K previously funded by the EDC). In response to Valley Interfaith's vocal rejection of his crumbs, he told leaders they were "going to have problems" if they did not change their attitude.
Read moreAustin Interfaith Wins Big on Wages in New City Budget

Leaders celebrated additional wins in areas impacting workers, children and families: $350K in increased investment in long-term job training program Capital IDEA, $3 million in added investments in parks, pools and libraries, $684K for AISD parents support specialists, $520K for Primetime after-school programming, and at least $1.6 Million for property tax breaks for seniors and disabled homeowners.
Read moreCOPS / Metro Raises Municipal 'Living Wage' to $13 / Hour

While this concludes a drama-filled and yearlong saga -- which also resulted in raised wages for workers at Alamo Colleges -- COPS / Metro leaders are not planning to rest long. Their long-term wage strategy includes a push to increase municipal wages to $14 / hour in fiscal year 2017 and $15 / hour the year after. They are furthermore setting their sights on wages paid by public schools and hospital districts.
Read moreProject IOWA Recognized for Living Wage Strategy
In an interview by Michael Libbie of The News Hour, Project IOWA executive director Julie Fugenschuh explains the origins of the training program and how it benefits trainees, businesses and the larger community.
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