Asian Media Access has joined other 13 agencies to support the City of Minneapolis’ Workforce Outreach Ambassador Program. We come together to grow a competitive workforce through programming aimed at increasing access to resources that further career services, whether skills training to gain sustainable and stable employment or career counseling for rapid reentry to the workforce. Supporting by our cohort, the City of Minneapolis Employment & Training uses a decentralized approach where services are delivered by community-based Provider Agencies at the neighborhood level. This neighborhood-based approach puts services by agencies skilled at providing culturally competent counseling that is flexible and adaptable to changing economic, cultural, and social dynamics of our community close to the job seekers and businesses that need workforce development support.
The need for this project stems from the public health and economic altering impacts of COVID-19. As the pandemic’s new realities set in, many in our communities left the workforce, some by force through layoff and employer closures, others to stay with children now learning from home, and others out of concern for their or their family members’ health. This led to dramatic declines in labor force participation. Two years since those initial shocks of COVID-19, many in our communities are still struggling to find access back to work and training. This Ambassador program is designed to mobilize the Minneapolis workforce development system to create innovative ways to connect and engage with those most disconnected from work.
Asian Media Access and our partners provide outreach and create accessibility to workforce program opportunities to our community members hardest hit by the economic impact of COVID-19. The primary audience(s) for community engagement that we served are disproportionally impacted by COVID-19, which may include low-income communities, BIPOC residents, limited English Proficiency members, those who identify as LGBTQ+, and those with disabilities.
We will utilize the culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate, and timely community engagement activities to engage with communities impacted by COVID-19 and not yet returning to work or training, along with a trauma-informed lens. Besides, the workforce development services, Asian Media Access will also utilize our violence prevention strategies for youth and young adults; and community wellness services, to truly bring on the stability and well-beings to our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in Minneapolis.
Please like and follow Asian Media Access facebook, we will post twice a week different key positions available in the City, as well as other in-person career fairs throughout the City, and our own Multimedia Training with industry recognized certificate. For more info: amamedia@amamedia.org
