Job-training program aims to empower the District's (DC) hardest to employ

Washington Post ^ | December 8, 2010 | Theresa Vargas

[Second Amendment First]

It's a Monday morning and Rodney Brown's 28 students shuffle into a lime-colored room at the Department of Employment Services on H Street NE. Several arrive late. Many wear clothes made for lounging, not impressing.

"I see some of you wearing tennis shoes," says Brown, his 6-foot frame tidy in gray slacks and a tie. "You come in here tomorrow with them and I'm going to have to send you out."

He is just getting started. Around him, shirts are untucked. Belts bear blinged-out buckles. Pants sit low - too low.

"How you going to get on Air Force One with your pants down to here?" Brown says, hitting the sides of his thighs. "If you know you don't wear size 40, why you buy size 40?"

"And sisters," he says, "we know you like to look sexy, but . . ."

This is Project Empowerment, the District's most expensive job-training program, aimed at one of its most desperate populations. The goal: Take participants from the only Washington they've known, where unemployment is chronic, and show them a city they've watched from afar, where women wear practical heels and men match their belts to their wingtips.

Of more than 800 participants the program serves each year, nearly all are African American, 80 percent have criminal records and many have never held a full-time job.

[Second Amendment First]

Where to start on this one. Quite the cast of characters. Continued tomorrow.

Within a year, he was selling drugs. By 16, he was in jail, convicted of second-degree murder. He and three other teenagers beat and robbed a pizza deliveryman, who later died at the hospital.

"I feel bad on a level I can't even explain," Moore says. "When it happened, I didn't know this guy was a father, that he had children." A deep, triangular callus has formed on his forehead, marking the spot that touches the ground when he kneels to pray five times a day. Moore became a Muslim in prison, where he served 15 years and seven months before being released in January. He believes the best way to repent is to help others; his ultimate hope is to find a job that will allow him to do that.

When job assignments are handed out, Moore is directed to interview with a woman who is starting a GED class in Anacostia. He gets the job, but rejects the assignment because it lacks the structure he grew used to in prison.

[Second Amendment First]

At least they're being told some things they need to hear:

"None of you in here were slaves," Brown shouts that first day. "None of you in here were killed for reading a book. We have people who come here from another country, don't know the language or nothing, and they learn the system better than us. At one time, we were second-class citizens. Now we're third-class."

[George from New England]

Who else thought this was a story about TSA expansion and hiring from the felon supply?

[SunkenCiv]

Project Empowerment, the District's most expensive job-training program, aimed at one of its most desperate populations... Of more than 800 participants the program serves each year, nearly all are African American, 80 percent have criminal records and many have never held a full-time job.

Thanks Second Amendment First.

[from occupied ga]

Yeah, I'd hire a career criminal and trust that he would steal my stuff BECAUSE HE'S BEEN TO TRAINING IN PRISON.* Most criminals are well behaved in prison (no opportunity to be anything but) just marking time until they can get out and continue their chosen profession.

*Maybe if I ran a license plate manufacturing facility.

[from occupied ga]

would = would not

[Second Amendment First]

You’re welcome. I think the one with the best chances is the 55 year old former addict.

[John Galt's cousin]

and hopefully learning some other bsic skills such as:

show up on time and ready to work,
no fighting
no drugs or alcohol
no stealing

do your best

if you don’t know how to do something - ask

I have come to learn that there are some people who really did not learn these basics at home or school.

[zbogwan2]

In the late 60’s & mid 70’s I worked for Chrysler and a similar Government Program for the Detroit Hard Core people was in effect. Each night a crew of these hard core would show up wearing yellow helmets and they'd go to work. Usually one or two would attain full time employment,but most others would be fired or just not show up again. The hardest thing for these hard core people was to get up on time and show up on time? They were really unemployable,because of their upbringing and the culture they came from? Nothing was ever structured in their lives and they just couldn't adapt at all.

[ScottinVA]

Of more than 800 participants the program serves each year, nearly all are African American, 80 percent have criminal records and many have never held a full-time job.

IOW, dependable votes for democrats. All the donks care about these people is that they collect welfare checks, sing praises to 0bama and mark anything with a (D) in the voting booth.

[ScottinVA]

Moore became a Muslim in prison

Oh, great. We'll hear from him sometime in the future.

[kearnyirish2]

“They were really unemployable,because of their upbringing and the culture they came from? Nothing was ever structured in their lives and they just couldn’t adapt at all.”

Some of them come from families that haven’t had a job for generations.

[Chode]

NO PITY FOR THE LAZY!!!

[SkyPilot]

Of more than 800 participants the program serves each year, nearly all are African American, 80 percent have criminal records and many have never held a full-time job.

Never? Ever? Never held a full time job?

Sheesh.

If I had my way, anyone getting "government help" or "assistance" would be put to work - period.

When I was indoctrinated in public schools, they used to show propaganda films about how great FDR was, and how the WPA would pick up trash and work on road.

Put these fat, lazy behemoths to work - real work. Not make work. Hard work.

Either one of two things would happen:

1. A lot of service work would get accomplished

2. The number of people sucking off the public teat would plummet

[SkyPilot]

From http://blackdemographics.com/health.html

____________________________________________________________________

Obesity in Black America

Black men 18 years and over who currently smoke: ......25.5%

Black women 18 years and over who currently smoke: ....18%

Black men 20 years and over who are overweight: ...........66%

Black women 20 years and over who are overweight: ......79%

According to the CDC a person is overweight if they have a BMI (body mass index) of more than 25. Obesity begins when a person has a BMI of 30 or more. The CDC considers obesity a serious chronic disease. It increases one's risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes (type 2), heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease and cancer of the breast, prostate and colon.

African Americans have high incident rates of obesity. As a matter of fact black women have the highest rates of obesity in America. 79.5 percent of Black women are overweight or obese.

_________________________________________________________________

Good thing Moochelle Obama (when she isn't in permanent vacation mode) spends millions on her "Let's Move!" campaign to wipe out obesity.

[ridesthemiles]

Whi knew that a Sasquatch knew how to perform with a hula hoop!???

[zbogwan2]

Back then there was no internet and limited info on this topic and I didn't really know what to think of then? Now it's pretty clear to me.

[kearnyirish2]

There is no end in sight; the end of the Civil War left a lot of unanswered questions that are unresolved to this day.