The City of Monroe will join the National League of Cities (NLC) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on Tuesday, August 6, leading a City delegation for a two-day convening celebrating the culmination of the Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy (Academy) in Washington, D.C.
The City of Monroe was one of the first 16 cities selected to join the Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy. The Academy is a partnership between NLC and DOL to support innovative and scalable City-supported solutions that upskill and reskill workers into quality, high-demand jobs.
“Good Jobs Great Cities has helped us as a City to focus more on job creation, directly affecting our quality of life for our citizens. Through this incredible opportunity, Monroe is recognized nationally as a destination city for businesses aspiring to grow. We have collaborated with businesses and leaders across our City, state, country, and globe to build programs that will benefit our local companies and our community. From this initiative, our newest program MonroeWorks was born to be the facilitator between job seekers and businesses with a focus on the ability of our citizens to improve their quality of life,” said Mayor Robert Burns.
"The Good Jobs Great Cities initiative has helped Monroe to think about our job market not as something exclusively created by the employers, but as a system created by the interconnected choices made by employers, local government, educational institutions, and the citizens. Monroe has taken this opportunity to create the MonroeWorks website to help connect local employers with residents aiming to provide personalized employment opportunities,” said Mayor Pro Tem David Dotson.
As a member of the Academy, the City of Monroe was part of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to receive in-depth technical assistance to accelerate Monroe’s efforts to design, develop, and launch workforce initiatives that can promote local talent and build the local economy.
“One year ago, we met here in Washington to kick off the Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy. Since then, this Academy has embraced the principle that equity and excellence go hand in hand, uplifting our workforce and entire communities from the bottom up and middle out,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “A good job changes lives. A good job changes communities. A good job changes the future.”
"The National League of Cities has been honored to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Labor on the Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy, a partnership that has delivered transformative results in 16 communities nationwide,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO & Executive Director of the National League of Cities. “In communities large and small, urban and rural, we have witnessed how local leaders can connect their residents with high-quality jobs that drive economic growth and resilience. The impact of this Academy will continue to benefit participating communities for decades."
Learn more about MonroeWorks by visiting Monroeworks.org, or contact Community Development Manager Teresa Campo at tcampo@monroenc.org.