Better jobs. Brighter future.

          Over the past decade, North Carolina has seen explosive growth of its Latino population, but segregation into dead-end jobs coupled with low educational attainment restrict opportunities for Latinos to contribute more fully to the state's economy and to improve their personal and family well-being and security. The overall goal of the Latino Pathways Initiative is to improve economic opportunities for Latino immigrants by helping communities build workforce and occupational development partnerships that open pathways to better employment.

          The Latino Pathways Initiative has formed partnerships consisting of employers, community colleges, grassroots Latino organizations, and workforce agencies to increase job entry, retention, and advancement for Latino immigrants. MDC provides planning assistance, technical support, and a learning process for the partnerships as they develop model programs. Efforts focus on moving Latino immigrants into specific employment sectors of high demand. Systemic change will occur as educational systems and businesses review outcomes and adopt best practices.

          MDC developed partnerships in Charlotte and Greensboro to design and implement model programs that move Latino immigrants into good jobs. The partnerships assessed the education and training needs of Latino immigrants and the capacity of the local community colleges and other local workforce and community institutions to meet these needs. In both Charlotte and Greensboro, MDC worked with the local partnership to develop an analysis of industrial growth sectors focused on specific occupations. During the implementation stage, MDC actively assisted the partnerships in drawing lessons from programs around the country to help them adapt best practices.

          Each community received an implementation grant to pay for staff time and a coordinator position to carry the work forward. The partnerships track not only job placement, but also retention and advancement in the workplace.

Program outcomes include the following:

 

• Occupational pathways will be established with connections to local employers.

   

• Over 200 Latino immigrants will graduate from the Latino Pathways program. Ninety percent of program participants are placed in employment. 

• Program graduates increase their incomes by 30 percent.

   

• Positive institutional changes occur at the community college, the JobLink Centers, and in the workplace.

           In addition to the outcomes sought for Latino immigrants, their local communities, and institutions and related systems, this program will deliver lessons that can be generalized to all low-wealth populations. MDC will share these findings broadly with other communities, the corporate sector, community colleges and community college systems, education and economic development practitioners, community advocates, policymakers and funders.