UMEZ Awards Healthcare Industry Grant Corporation Workforce Development Grant

Photo: Hush Naidoo

New York, New York – UMEZ awarded a $250,600.60 workforce development grant to the Healthcare Industry Grant Corporation, acting on behalf of the 1199 SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund (“1199 TUF”) on December 8th, 2017.  To address the lack of healthcare sector-based employment programs and/or strategies that exist within the communities of Upper Manhattan that are aimed at increasing the employment and career advancement prospects of Upper Manhattan (“UM”) residents, UMEZ is collaborating with the 1199 TUF to launch Phase II of the UMEZ-sponsored Career Opportunities in Healthcare ("COH") program initiative.

Further building upon the relevant “system change” approaches identified and testing during Phase I of the COH program, wherein over 100 UM residents were provided with employment opportunities and the prospect of union membership, Phase II of the COH program will be administered as a pilot, recognizing that healthcare workforce development will be a long-term effort.  In this new phase, the 1199 TUF and UMEZ will work together to implement model sector employment practices that are   aimed at better understanding labor market trends and employer demands within the healthcare sector, in a manner that’s relevant to building a pipeline of underserved UM residents to healthcare jobs and career pathways.

Through the implementation of an Employer Survey of all its participating and contributing member institutions, the 1199 TUF will assess the workforce development needs of healthcare institutions with the goal of identifying near-term and emerging employment opportunities within the healthcare sector.  Equally important, UMEZ will take the lead in the formation of a Community Partner Panel consisting of local workforce development providers that will undergo healthcare training workshops administered by the 1199 TUF, to build their capacity to deliver demand-driven healthcare sector programs in a collaborative manner.  The CPP will be responsible for working with the 1199 TUF to develop standardized pre-screening, assessment and referral tools that will be used to facilitate non-union UM residents’ access to employer interviews.  Lastly, seventy-five (75) UM residents will gain access to entry-level employment and career advancement opportunities with various healthcare institutions.  Non-union UM residents will be targeted for entry-level employment opportunities with the prospect of union membership through training and/or a direct placement method; and UM healthcare incumbent workers/1199 TUF members will be targeted for opportunities to upgrade their skills for positions offering higher wages.

Florence Wong, Director of 1199 TUF and Greater New York Education Fund, said, “1199 SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund is thrilled to work with UMEZ once again to empower the community by increasing access to skill trainings and jobs for UMEZ residents in health care.  This collaboration will benefit the community and health care industry immensely”. UMEZ is proud to partner with the 1199 TUF to better serve and develop the healthcare sector that thrives in Upper Manhattan.

About 1199 TUF

The 1199 TUF is the largest joint labor-management training organization in the United States. Founded in 1969, the 1199 TUF has provided education and training programs to healthcare institutions (contributing institutions) and individual members, since its inception. The 1199 TUF is focused on meeting the rapidly growing needs of the healthcare industry. The goal of the organization is to ensure that 1199 SEIU members and healthcare institutions are equipped with the skills and resources that are needed to provide high-quality patient care, while responding to economic changes and labor market trends within the healthcare sector.