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| On-the-Job Training Helps Milwaukee’s Central City Residents Land Jobs |
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When a company in Milwaukee needs a temporary worker, instead of placing an ad or going through an agency, it can call the Milwaukee Careers Cooperative (MCC) and be assured of a suitable job candidate. For example, A–1 Creative, a light assembly firm, recently needed a few temporary employees to insert batteries into flashlights and toys into preformed plastic containers. Rather than paying high fees to a for-profit employment agency, A–1 called MCC. A–1 hired 5 MCC clients and was so satisfied with them that it now has 20 MCC-referred workers on its payroll. Employers throughout the Milwaukee metropolitan area have been hiring reliable employees through MCC since 1987, when local churches established the cooperative to help low-income, inner-city residents find permanent jobs. More than 30 churches, faith-based groups, and community organizations now belong to MCC, which seeks to first place people in good temporary jobs with training opportunities and then move them into permanent jobs. Cooperative members—which pay a one-time fee of $2,500—actively guide MCC’s activities, refer clients, and support clients as they look for jobs. African-American men make up the majority of MCC clients. A typical client has a high school diploma but is viewed as a risk by employers because of gaps in work history and previous personal problems, such as substance abuse and contact with the criminal justice system. MCC estimates that the local unemployment rate among this population is 40 percent. “They have no work record or a bad work record,” says John Purcell, MCC’s Fiscal Director. “Consequently, the first thing we do is build a work record.” Developing a work history. Building a work record means that all newcomers to MCC take temporary jobs through which they can develop skills and prove themselves. The cooperative uses a temp-to-perm contract to find some of its clients permanent jobs. Other clients use the work history they build at MCC to find permanent jobs on their own. In the past year, MCC placed 852 local residents in temporary jobs. Each new MCC client attends an orientation session at which he or she is interviewed by an employee specialist who ascertains the client’s level of schooling, work experience, and career interests. On the basis of these interviews, the specialist finds the client a temporary job in the suburban Milwaukee areas of Ozaukee, Washington, or Waukesha Counties. Positions range from assembly workers at light manufacturing companies to attendants at long-term healthcare facilities. “We take anyone who walks in and says, ‘I want to change my life and get a job,’” says Purcell about MCC’s recruiting policies. Temp-to-perm. Through MCC’s temp-to-perm contract, a business agrees to hire an individual for a trial period of 30 to 120 days. During that time, the business evaluates the individual and decides whether to hire him or her as a permanent employee. “Both the client and the business benefit from the temp-to-perm contract,” says Purcell. The client receives on-the-job training, builds valuable work experience, and has the opportunity to become a permanent employee. The business gets the opportunity to try out a new employee without the risk of placing him or her on the payroll. During the trial period, the business pays MCC a fee equal to 150 percent of the temporary employee’s salary. Unlike most for-profit employment agencies, MCC does not charge businesses any additional placement fees. Last year, 45 clients received permanent positions through MCC’s temp-to-perm contracts. Additional services. Placing clients in jobs is only part of MCC’s job. The cooperative puts substantial effort into finding new job openings for its clients by personally contacting potential employers throughout the region. MCC also works closely with its current employers to monitor client progress and ensure that placements are going well. MCC staff members counsel clients about work-related problems, help them find transportation to and from work, and give them the skills they need to advance in the job market. To minimize job-related problems, MCC requires all of its clients to attend a mandatory First Week Checkup Workshop on the Saturday after they begin a new job. The workshop allows clients to discuss their work assignments, share their work experiences, and learn how to cope with difficult work situations. To ensure that clients can get to their jobs in the suburbs, MCC contracts with transportation providers such as the JobRide service operated by Milwaukee’s Private Industry Council. For the first 6 months after a client lands a permanent job, MCC and the client split the $2 cost for a one-way trip to or from work. MCC also leases two vans that transport clients to interviews and job sites not serviced by participating transportation providers. Almost all (95 percent) clients take advantage of the shuttle services. An MCC partnership with the Milwaukee Area Technical College and Maximus, a for-profit employment agency that specializes in welfare-to-work services, has helped clients gain additional education and job skills. The three organizations have established a classroom at MCC where clients can attend instructor-led courses, get basic skills training, and take a GED preparation course if they lack a high school diploma. Classes are held before and after work. Community partners. MCC’s community partners are largely responsible for helping clients deal with personal issues that could interfere with long-term employability. Clients facing problems with housing or substance abuse are referred to appropriate agencies where they can receive assistance. In addition, MCC partners often are called upon to help clients resolve other types of personal problems. This helps MCC concentrate on its mission of moving clients to work. “It is important that the faith-based organizations, many of whom may have been responsible for referring clients, are helping them with other aspects of their lives,” says Purcell. Funding. MCC collects $1.9 million per year in employer fees. Community support—in the form of a $57,000 Community Development Block Grant from the city of Milwaukee and donations from foundations and local businesses—helps the cooperative cover the balance of its $2.2 million budget. For more information, contact: John Purcell, Fiscal Director, Milwaukee Careers Cooperative, 2040 West Wisconsin Avenue, Bockl Building, Suite 10, Milwaukee, WI 53233, (414) 937–8260. Or see: New Avenues Into Jobs: Early Lessons from Nonprofit Temp Agencies and Employment Brokers, June 1999, Office of Policy Development and Research, HUD USER, P.O. Box 23268, Washington, D.C. 20026-3268, (800) 245–2691.
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