The City of Monroe has been chosen for the exclusive, nationwide Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy by the National League of Cities and the U.S. Department of Labor.
This new peer-learning cohort, made up of only 16 cities nationwide, is designed to bring infrastructure, clean energy and advanced manufacturing jobs to the community.
City of Monroe Mayor Marion Holloway and City Manager Mark Watson were on the ground floor of this initiative after hearing the informational presentation at the National League of Cities Congressional Cities Conference in Washington, D.C. in March.
“The opportunity to participate in the academy is a once-in-a-lifetime gift to our City and our region,” said Monroe Mayor Marion Holloway.
The Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy works with municipalities to spur innovative and scalable city-supported solutions that upskill and reskill workers into quality, high-demand jobs in infrastructure, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing jobs made possible by investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The Academy will accelerate city efforts to design, develop and launch a workforce initiative to build pathways into good jobs created by federal investments, especially for local residents from historically underserved and underrepresented communities, addressing key gaps and/or shortcomings in their education and workforce ecosystem.
“This project presents a critical opportunity for Monroe to create a sustainable, prosperous future that is inclusive and fosters equity in employment,” said Mayor Holloway.
Example initiatives might include launching a pre-apprenticeship program, expanding Registered Apprenticeship into new sectors, designing a comprehensive youth strategy for a city, or developing a regional sector partnership for a growing industry.
“Employers have voiced their consensus to work with us toward this goal, along with other government agencies, nonprofits, South Piedmont Community College and Wingate University,” said Mayor Holloway. “I am excited about the impact this project can have on our economy and its potential to establish the City as a growing source of new and diverse employment opportunities for our residents.”
The City of Monroe is home to manufacturing giants such as Tyson Foods, ATI Specialty Materials, Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, Collin’s Aerospace, Ludwig Drums, and many others.
Monroe is a full service city providing residents with electric and natural gas energy, water & sewer, streets & engineering, solid waste & recycling, police, fire, parks & recreation, tourism, planning & development, economic development, and a vibrant downtown.
The City of Monroe owns and operates Charlotte-Monroe Executive Airport, The Monroe Science Center Honoring Dr. Christine Mann Darden, The Dowd Center Theatre, The Monroe Country Club, the Monroe Aquatics and Fitness Center and soon the Philip E. Bazemore Active Adult Center.
The City of Monroe is joined by 15 other cities in the Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy:
- Birmingham, AL
- Missoula, MT
- Chattanooga, TN
- Monroe, NC
- Duluth, MN
- Newark, NJ
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- San Antonio, TX
- Frederick, MD
- Santa Fe, NM
- Jamestown, NY
- Saint Louis, MO
- Kokomo, IN
- Tacoma, WA
- Lansing, MI
- Tempe, AZ
The program will run through 2024. For more information on the program, visit www.nlc.org.