Allegra Henderson presents Velvet, a Bridge to Employment participant, the Empowerment Award at the 2010 Community Action Duluth Annual Awards Dinner.

Our Mission

Our mission is to place African American job seekers into employment in Duluth, to develop job placement opportunities for participants, provide ongoing job retention support to participants, and encourage the development of long-term employment/career goals that will move them into self sufficiency.

Statistics to Consider

RACE

» Between now and 2050 America will become a nation without a majority ethnic group.
» The United States African American population will grow from 37 million to 61 million.

WAGE DISPARITY

» The median weekly wage earned by African Americans in 2004 was $523; for white workers, it was $677 a week.
» One out of four (25.7 percent) African Americans is employed as a nursing home or health care worker, cook, janitor, maid, cashier, salesperson, customer service representative, secretary, truck driver, or laborer. Annual salaries for these professions range from $10,335 to $29,020. African Americans must obtain good, career-making jobs, not just entry level positions.

EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS

» While being only 12.8 percent of the United States population, the unemployment rate for African Americans nationwide is twice that of whites.
» Employment rates continue to be higher for white youth, at 62 percent, than for African American youth, at 42 percent. When employed, African American youth are more likely to earn lower wages than white youth.
» Twenty-three percent of African Americans ages 18-19 are "disconnected," not in school and not working, compared with 10 percent of whites within the same age range.
» The number of African Americans in unions has fallen by 14.4 percent since 2000, while white membership is down by 5.4 percent.
» Eighteen percent of African American workers are uninsured.
» Help close the equality gap, promote the hiring and retention of racially diverse African American people in Duluth.

Services to Participants

• Job readiness
• Job placement
• Job retention
• Career goal planning
• On-going communication and support

Services to Employers

• Assessment and screening to ensure job-person fit
• Participant eligibility assessment for Welfare-to-Work tax credit
• Work Opportunity tax credit and/or on-the-job training wage subsidy