CITY RECEIVES $100,000 ‘WORKING CITIES’ GRANT FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Of Somerville's nearly 9,700 residents in this age bracket, over 40% are
classified as either low- or very-low-income. Moreover, two-thirds of these residents
have very little formal post-secondary education. Nationally, just 54% of
Americans in this age bracket hold jobs, the lowest rate since 1948.
Somerville's WCC proposal, "Pocket Change: Creating a Somerville that Works for
All," blends the use of mobile technology with traditional workforce
development in order to reach the 18-24 out-of-school demographic, with a
specific focus on training for lower-income, lower-skilled individuals.

"Somerville's unemployment rate remains below the state and national
average, but for the individuals in our community who are struggling to find
employment-including some of our younger workers-all that matters is whether
they can get the one job they need. So as we work to bring good jobs to
Somerville through economic development at sites like Assembly Row and Union
Square, we must also ensure that our residents are prepared for the jobs that
new businesses will bring to our city, and this program will help us do just
that,," said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. "With the support of the WCC and Boston
Fed, Pocket Change will help us cultivate new job opportunities and give our recent
high school graduates and younger workers better incentives to obtain jobs in a
competitive market by arming them with the necessary tools and experience. This
is a great step in the right direction, building on our momentum with the Jobs
Advisory Committee and Future Economies Commission."

"Pocket Change" will engage 18-24-year-olds over a one-year period in a
pilot program. Through partnerships with more than 15 nonprofit and businesses
throughout Somerville, participants will gain workforce experience designed
using a "Level-Up" approach, offering youth the opportunity to gain experience
at various levels dependent upon successful completion of work at each level as
well as completion of job training and career development workshops.

"Pocket Change is a unique and innovative tool that the City of Somerville
and our community and business partners will be able to use to help prepare a
new generation for a growing workforce, particularly by capitalizing on the
strengths and skills possessed by this group of young adults in our community.
It will give young people the opportunity to gain additional, necessary
experience that employers are seeking in today's economy, opportunities that
many of these residents would not otherwise have, and we are extremely thankful
to Boston Fed and its funding partners for making this possible for our young
residents," said Ed O'Donnell, Economic Development Director for the City of
Somerville.

Other communities receiving grant funding include Lawrence, Fitchburg,
Holyoke, Chelsea, and Salem.

Funding awards have been made possible by the Massachusetts Competitive
Partnership, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, MassDevelopment, Living Cities,
Bank of America, The Boston Foundation, Surdna Foundation, the Move the World
Foundation, the Hyams Foundation, and Boston Private Bank and Trust. Other key
partners in the endeavor include Boston Community Capital, which will serve as
fiscal agent, and MassINC, which is a long-time leader on small city
initiatives.

For more information, visit http://www.bostonfed.org/WorkingCities