03 Mar CRA BOARD APPROVES FUNDS FOR JOB TRAINING INITIATIVES
MIAMI, FL | March 3, 2017 – On Feb, 27, 2017, the Southeast Overtown / Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board of Commissioners approved a $320,000 grant to Human Resources of Miami, Inc. for the continued operation of the Overtown Beautification Team.
The Overtown Beautification Team also known as “the Blue Shirts” provides job training to local residents in property maintenance and landscape services. Dressed in bright blue t-shirts, participants provide street cleaning services along the NW 3rd Avenue Business Corridor and the surrounding areas in Overtown. The program plays a significant role in the reduction of illegal trash dumping within the community and is mainly responsible for the cleaner and more inviting appearance of the neighborhood. Moreover, the program provides for soft skill training, financial management, counseling, and assistance with transitioning into permanent employment. Last year the CRA Board voted to increase the salaries of the participants from $11.00 to $15.00 an hour, which will help to increase the quality of life for its participants. This year’s funding provides for the hiring of eleven (11) employees.
In addition to the Beautification Team program, the CRA Board also approved a $300,000 grant to Hospitality Employees Advancement & Training, Inc. to support a hospitality training program that will be located in the Overtown Performing Arts Center (“OPAC”), located at 1074 NW 3rd Avenue, Miami, Florida. The program will offer training courses for positions such as baker’s helper, professional cook, bus person, banquet server, and hotel guest room attendant. This training program is modeled after other successful hospitality training programs affiliated with UNITE HERE in Boston and Las Vegas, which takes a student-centered approach to training and emphasizes job placement for its graduates.
An additional $25,000 was also approved to assist with training residents in manufactured construction in conjunction with Miami-Dade College and TRAMCON-Training for Manufactured Construction. The 8-week training program provides Overtown residents with free training in carpentry, plumbing, HVAC, workplace safety, professionalism, and training for the OSHA 30 Certification. Fifteen (“15”) residents of the redevelopment area successfully completed the program in 2016 and received a $500.00 stipend. The next training class will take place in early 2017.