QUESTION
How is the American DreamWorks initiative implemented to connect asylum seekers with jobs, and what is its budget?
2:51:18
·
176 sec
The American DreamWorks initiative, lacking detailed budget information, connects authorized asylum seekers with jobs through a portal for businesses and workforce centers.
- The initiative operates without a specified budget, as detailed financial information is unavailable.
- It aims to align asylum seekers who have work authorization with potential employers via an online portal and workforce centers.
- Nonprofits, state and federal Departments of Labor (DOL), and the Mayor's Office of Asylum Seeker Operations (OASO) collaborate to amplify job availability.
- Key goals include preventing exploitation in the informal economy and providing necessary training for suitable, dignified employment.
- The long-term plan and milestones are undefined, but efforts focus on connecting individuals to employment opportunities as they become known.
Alexa Avilés
2:51:18
The city rolled out this new initiative called the American DreamWorks through the Department of Small Business Services.
2:51:26
Designed to connect workers with businesses who need them.
2:51:29
Asylum seekers with work authorization are directed as was mentioned earlier to workforce 1 centers and businesses through SBS.
2:51:39
Can can I also just provide, like, how this initiative will be implemented and what's the budget for it.
2:51:49
So I don't
Molly Schaeffer
2:51:49
have the budget, so I have to get back to you.
2:51:51
But the point of that portal was that interested businesses could put their businesses online, and we could connect people through the workforce 1 centers.
2:52:00
To those eligible businesses.
2:52:02
And so as mentioned, we've given, we've worked with our Department of Labor colleagues and the State Department of Labor colleagues and our SBS colleagues to give lists of people who have either a applied or either applied from work or or either have work authorization or have applied to work to then be able to be reached out for an appointment with either a DOL center or an SBS workforce 1 center and then be able to connect them to jobs.
2:52:32
We also recently have had a meeting with federal DOL, state DOL, commissioner Castro and myself and the unions and a lot of other and some nonprofits to deepen that partnership and see what federal pressure and convening can do to make sure that we have more jobs available.
2:52:51
So we're working on all sort of all levers to be able to do that.
Alexa Avilés
2:52:55
Do you know how many small businesses are involved in the initiative currently?
Molly Schaeffer
2:52:59
I don't.
2:52:59
I'd have to get back to you on specifics.
Alexa Avilés
2:53:01
And are there any nonprofits involved in in these conversations?
Molly Schaeffer
2:53:05
Yeah.
2:53:05
So I think, yes, there's absolutely nonprofit involved, I think.
2:53:09
And especially at the most recent convening, we had a fair amount of nonprofits who are seeing people come in and really know their needs and trying to get them connected.
2:53:19
I mean, I think there's there's 2 parts of this, as commissioner Castro OE says, there is the informal economy, making sure people who are working, and we know a majority of people are connected to know your rights trainings and know their rights and won't get exploited.
2:53:33
And then there's also how do we get people the right types of training to then connect them to their appropriate life affirming jobs?
Alexa Avilés
2:53:42
And is the initiative anticipated to roll into the out years
Molly Schaeffer
2:53:48
at this point, yes, but I don't know any specifics on dollar figures.
Alexa Avilés
2:53:54
And are there any miles stones in terms of the numbers of individuals to be served.
Molly Schaeffer
2:54:01
We are connecting everyone as they become known to us as someone who is either applied for work authorization or has work authorization to SBS or to the state department of labor, we want to get people connected to work as quickly as possible.
Alexa Avilés
2:54:13
Okay.