On April 29, the Job Training Alliance (JTA) hosted a live virtual forum wherein five mayoral candidates discussed different aspects of workforce development, job training opportunities, and economic recovery for all Boston workers. The title of the event was “Boston Stronger: Ensuring All Boston Workers Thrive in the New Economy.”
The mayoral candidates present were John Barros (Chief of Economic Development), Andrea Campbell (Councilor, District 4), Annissa Essaibi George (Councilor At-Large), Michelle Wu (Councilor At-Large), and Jon Santiago (State Rep. 9th, Suffolk).
Several of the discussed topics were pre-existing concerns and barriers exacerbated during the pandemic, now becoming critical ways which may help the post-pandemic economy to recover. The candidates were asked what they would do to address issues ranging from the digital divide to funding workforce training, and from helping immigrants with limited English proficiency to those reentering society after incarceration.
Most common solutions proposed by the candidates included universal pre-kindergarten, accessible childcare and education, and providing accessible and potentially free public transportation in order to eliminate barriers of entry and opportunity for the underserved. Below are a list of the questions raised and the highlights of each candidate’s response:
- Colleen Moran from Massachusetts General Brigham brought up her concern about the widening digital divide, referring to the means and skills to access job opportunities today and in the future.
John Barros : “Unless we can learn how to share all the technology and opportunities to everyone, that starts with closing the digital divide. It’s a priority for me. It’d be a priority for me as mayor, because it’s an economic competitiveness issue.”
Andrea Campbell : “I have done creative things, pushing for free Wi Fi including in some of our senior buildings, pushing for funding for multicultural organizations to deliver tech skill development across various communities, including those that may be deemed harder to reach.”
Annissa Essaibi George “We have an opportunity to not only bounce back from the past year, but to prioritize being an economy that works for everyone. It starts by tackling the digital divide through culturally relevant and accessible training for all of our residents.”
Michelle Wu : “… We need to make sure that we’re giving our residents the benefit of access to this digital economy digital world because it does remove some barriers to easier if you don’t have to commute and figure out how to get there, how to pay for how to get there, or do this from home.”
Jon Santiago : “One, exploring and expanding municipal broadband in Boston. Two, I want to appoint a chief information officer that will prioritize addressing that digital divide. Three, investment in training and education, to improve the digital fluency.”
- A resident of Mattapan, Bianca Barker highlighted how her classmates lacked access to transportation, childcare, and other systematic barriers that made it difficult for them to focus on their own education.
Barros: “We need to address childcare and make sure that we will have affordable and universal access to childcare, […] for every dollar we spend on a child in early childhood years, we save $17 a minute in their teenage years on subsidizing interventions and other programs.”
Campbell “[…] closing gaps in Boston Public Schools, universal pre-K and making sure that’s accessible to all in Boston, and since COVID-19, employers want to invest in childcare, working together with employers on carpooling options, and making that free.”
Essaibi George vowed to close the achievement and opportunity gap by establishing equitable baseline standards and resources at every school, making sure all schools have appropriate resources enough for all students and establishing a structured literacy program.
Wu called for universal Pre-K, affordable early education, and moving towards a fair-free public transportation system that is reliable and accessible. Closing the wealth gap and democratizing decision making in the public school system.
Santiago advocated for empowering underserved communities, and making sure the budget reflects that.
- Edward Hsieh, COO of the Asian American Civic Association asked “What kind of investments in workforce development will you pledge to make if elected? In what ways will you prioritize community based organizations like AACA and other members of the job training alliance?”
Barros helped attract more than 140,000 jobs to Boston and was part of the previous mayor’s signing of the linkage fees and helping put more funding into workforce development, and hoping to continue this work as mayor.
Campbell “… having AACA and other organizations on the JTA at the table informing the work towards better workforce development and training … Expanding funding for these grounds, and also looking for other ‘creative dollars’ as well. Mobilizing other parts of the ecosystem such as philanthropy, and the private sector to play a bigger role.”
Essaibi George “…establishing a direct pipeline from Madison Park technical vocational high school to the workforce […] Also using and leveraging money to fund workforce training programs. To reconvene the Pilot Task Force, and build an office dedicated to institutional compliance.”
Wu “… we need to move even further on linkage to increase the rates to make sure that we are lowering the threshold for which properties and new developments would qualify to make sure that we are connecting those opportunities to the immediate needs in the community.”
Santiago focuses on investing in job opportunities for citizens reentering society after incarceration and immigrant families.
After the panelist questions, the forum moved on to audience questions.
- Christopher Mills: “Women, especially women of color have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. What are your plans to get the women who left the workforce back into it?”
Barros brought up affordable childcare, advocated for expanded paid parental leave across all sectors, addressing the income gap.
Campbell identified that there were lots of federal funding and relief packages from Boston as well, a portion of the resources should be used to help those out of work, and get these people on their feet. Childcare and universal pre-K. Treatment of women in the workforce – close the wage gap.
Essaibi George “… we need to put women center to the decisions that we’re making as a society, and as mayor I will do that work and continue on the legacy started through the Mayor’s Office of Women’s advancement to lead in this area.”
Wu “I was the lead sponsor in making sure that Boston became one of the first cities in the country for paid parental leave, to ensure that we’re tackling and closing gaps for workers and particularly working moms across the city to convene conversations around this. […] centering women is centering stability in our city.”
Santiago “We have to provide universal access to childcare, without a doubt, 110%.” He also highlighted addressing the income gap and expanding paid family medical leave.
- Susan Buckey: “The road to re-employment is especially difficult for people coming out of incarceration. What plans are you considering to improve their chances (before re-entry and after) of finding gainful employment upon their reentry into society?”
Barros “We need housing for re-entry housing creates stability and then immediately after housing we need to have some basic income that’s provided to them so they can get moving. […] My reentry program would have some basics for our members that are reentering society to make sure that they come in and on firm footing.”
Campbell “Recently filed and passed a piece of legislation that would prohibit employees for example from using credit history, […] Making sure they have access to a driver’s license and ID social security card, all the things we take for granted to be able to get a job, […] But when they leave, I think it’s critically important that we think about job training programs that are free that are a stipend. […] And lastly, I will say, it also was about how we shift how we view these folks, these are human beings.”
Essaibi George “Of course when it comes to reentry, focus on housing stability, supportive services especially in physical and mental healthcare. […] They do have skills and [we must] make sure that we are embracing that one individual, and caring for them, from the moment they enter our custody. And then supporting them through their reentry into our communities and back home.”
Wu “…we need to end this predatory system that the state budget has held up and find a different way to support the funding and the programming necessary for our system, so that people can be connected to the community the whole time and have a seamless transition into jobs and opportunity afterwards.”
Santiago had a focus on mental health support to address the trauma and drug abuse they might have experienced, in addition to all-around support and help for these communities through nonprofit organizations in things like housing among other things.
- Shirley Doan: “What will you do for immigrants with limited English proficiency to ensure they can access good, secure, and non-exploitative jobs?”
Barros “…one intervention that has shown a lot of economic mobility is English acquisition classes, we need to make sure that there are more opportunities for our immigrants to come in right away and learn, and right now there’s not enough seats, […] We need to make sure that all immigrant communities, particularly the immigrant communities of color that have weaker infrastructure to plug immigrants in have the kind of infrastructure and support that they need.”
Campbell “It’s starting with the basics and the foundation, Boston Public Schools have to be a part of the conversation […] access to job training and access to these programs should be available to folks, regardless of their immigration status, […] how do you make sure that these programs are also free, including ESL training and also opportunities [with a] stipend.”
Essaibi George shared a personal story of her father’s career as an immigrant. “We need to do a better job of engaging our residents, especially our newest Bostonian.”
Wu “I was proud to lead the charge and make sure that Boston passed language access ordinance communications access ordinance to require translation, interpretation for all city services that same philosophy should extend to all of our employers as well.”
Santiago “We should give undocumented immigrants the ability to [have a] state issued driver’s license so they can play a part in our economy. And for me it’s also personal. […] cultural competency, engaging people and their respective language, because that’s going to provide the best care for our fellow citizens.”
