The National Association of Minority Contractors—Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Chapter (NAMC-WMAC), is hosting the “2025 East of the River Jobs Not Guns/Jobs Not Drugs Youth Career Building Workshop on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Panorama Room, 1600 Morris Road, SE, Washington, DC. 20020 from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.

Once again, the Youth Workshop will serve youth East of the Anacostia River, Wards 7 and 8, ages 15 to 24. We are inviting DC Public/Charter Schools (Grades 8-12), churches, public and private organizations, public agencies, elected officials, local businesses and employers to participate in the Youth Workshop and refer youth to attend.

Features will include:

• Panel presentations and exhibitors by employers, drug counselors, apprenticeship and skill training providers, workforce development, support service programs and returning citizens
• Youth will receive a “Certificate of Participation,” and DCPS/DCPCS Community Service Hours for their participation. Online and telephone follow-up counseling services will also be available.
• Coordination with schools to provide transportation
• Lunch will be served!

Our Commitment:

• To recruit youth between the ages of 15-24 in Ward 7 and 8 to participate in the Youth Workshop.
• To provide critical information about programs and services in the District and specific presentations from major development projects planned or underway in Ward 7 and 8 and share opportunities for employment and/or training to become a candidate for employment on these high profile development initiatives.
• To successfully monitor the success of youth’s participation at the Youth Workshop through a comprehensive database that will continue to provide follow-up of employment, training and support services, in addition to continue to provide counseling to youth through online group counseling sessions and one-on-one counseling for participants to assist with obtaining and sustaining their career goals.

The Youth Workshop presentations will address the barriers to employment:

(1)  Employment Opportunities:  Why Should I Hire You?

Employers will provide youth with a roadmap to finding and maintaining employment including significant economic initiates planned in Ward 7 and 8. Share how to prepare for employment and training; a summary of requirements for hiring that include employment experience, skill training, personal profiles (dress, grooming, articulation, etc.), attitude, demeanor and references to determine job readiness for employment, internship or mentorship opportunities within their companies.

(2) Drug Prevention: Don’t Do It, Drugs Do What?

Presentations about the harmful effects of drug use that includes information about various drugs, facts and fiction about drugs, the consequences of drug use and its impact on their ability to obtain and sustain gainful employment, through training, apprenticeship and internship services, and supportive service programs for youth to serve as a deterrent to youth drug use and violence.

(3) Prior History:  Been There, Done That!

Presentations from violence intervention programs and services, testimonials from returning citizens, violence interrupters and other presenters that have experienced employment discrimination based on their past. They will share their road to overcoming barriers to employment that has resulted in obtaining and sustaining an alternative lifestyle that has afforded them the ability to earn a living, provide for their family and contribute to the community.

(4) A Career Plan: What Do I Have To Do?

Presentations on how to develop a roadmap to careers and steps available for the participants to achieve their goals. The presenters will provide a list of available resources, i.e., skill training programs, apprenticeship programs, supportive service programs, workforce development programs, housing assistance, mental/physical health services and returning citizens’ support.  The Youth Workshop will summarize follow-up services that will be available through online group sessions and one-on-one telephone counseling that will provide assistance to develop their work plan and establish a roadmap to their chosen career.

We are committed to share information, resources and opportunities through opioid drugs and violence prevention and how to overcome barriers to targeted careers in neighborhoods East of the River in the Nation’s Capital.

The 2^nd Annual Open House and Apprenticeship Competition” at the Carpenters Union will take place on April 23rd from 8 am – 4 pm at 8510 Pennsylvania Avenue, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, 20772. This is an all-day competition with our apprentices competing to take the crown as top apprentice. We will be providing tours of our apprenticeship training center as well as providing you information on how to become an apprentice!

You are invited to attend any portion of the day you would like, but we recommend getting there in the morning and staying as long as you can. We will provide refreshments all throughout the day. Come to watch the competition and stay to learn about the amazing construction careers available today for local students and residents. Please forward this information to any workforce development groups or schools you think might also be interested in attending.

In addition, we will have booths available for students and adult cohorts to apply for the various apprenticeships and career paths in construction. We will also have hands-on activities where individuals can see if a career in construction is right for them. Bridges, tunnels, data centers, skyscrapers, schools – you name it, there are jobs that need skilled apprentices, and your students and adult cohorts deserve them.

We would be honored to have you, your team, and your group attend. Additionally, if you would like to register or exhibit, please use this link or click the RSVP link in the flyer. RSVP Link: https://forms.gle/Q1N1LBDuWqq8WYHo8

Mike Dempsey
Communications Manager
Carpenter Contractor Trust
m: 771-215-0396
https://progress360.org/

Over $1 Billion in Economic Development Spurs Jobs and Hope East of the Anacostia River

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On November 14, 2024, over one billion dollars in economic development initiatives were unveiled at the Jobs Not Guns/Jobs Not Drugs Citywide Recruitment Fair held at the D.C. Armory. The event, co-hosted by the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC-WMAC), The Baltimore-Washington, D.C. Building Trades Council (BDCBT), and the D.C. National Guard, showcased two transformative projects in Ward 8. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, the event’s special guest speaker, emphasized the economic potential of the $524 million Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters consolidation on St. Elizabeths West Campus. She has already secured over $3 billion in federal funding, stating “This project will create jobs and contracts for D.C. residents and businesses.”

The second project introduced by Anthony Coleman, CEO was $434.4 million Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, GW Health on St. Elizabeths East Campus. Set to open in early 2025, will be the first new full-service hospital in D.C.  in over 20 years. Described as “a robust system of care” designed to integrate with existing providers while addressing the healthcare disparities in Wards 7 and 8.

The fair featured over 100 exhibitors representing the building trades, hospitality, law enforcement, healthcare, workforce development, drug counseling, reentry and vocational training programs. The Baltimore-Washington Building Trades Council highlighted its investment in skilled craft training, with a strong emphasis on minorities, women, and military veterans, as part of a $9 billion nationwide initiative to prepare workers for middle-class careers. The fair highlighted opportunities for D.C. residents, particularly those in Wards 7 and 8, to benefit from these massive investments. Of the 700 registered attendees, 165 hailed from communities East of the Anacostia River, where residents often face significant economic and social challenges.

Creating Jobs, Preventing Violence

The Jobs Not Guns initiative was launched by NAMC-WMAC, Inner Thoughts and Ward 8 Business Owners, in collaboration with Mayor Muriel Bowser’s “Building Blocks DC” program, aimed to tackle gun violence in the District. The Jobs Not Drugs initiative was created in partnership with the ACC-Transformers through the Department of Behavioral Health’s opioid abatement grant to lessen or end the impacts of the opioid epidemic.  These initiatives address the root causes such as unemployment and lack of access to resources by bringing together employers, apprenticeship programs, and social service providers to create pathways to stable careers while offering resources to overcome barriers like substance abuse and housing instability.

This partnership is about more than jobs—it’s about hope,” said Major General John C. Andoni of the D.C. National Guard, who opened the event.

The combined efforts of Jobs Not Guns and Jobs Not Drugs working with major economic development projects have the potential to transform Wards 7 and 8. By connecting residents with career opportunities and addressing systemic barriers to employment, these initiatives aim to reduce gun violence, curb the opioid epidemic, and foster long-term economic stability.

CREATING JOBS and BUILDING CAREERS!

The National Association of Minority Contractors—Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Chapter—Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Chapter (NAMC-WMAC) in partnership with the District of Columbia Army National Guard is hosting the “2024 Jobs Not Guns/Jobs Not Drugs Citywide Recruitment Fair” on Thursday, November 14, 2024, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the DC Armory, 2001 East Capital Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003.

Jobs Not Guns is designed to decrease gun violence and Jobs Not Drugs is designed to reduce the impact of opioid and other drugs; both initiatives benefit the residents of the District of Columbia, especially our youth. These initiatives assist in CREATING JOBS and BUILDING CAREERS by showcasing employers, contractors, apprenticeship programs, vocational education providers, technology, law enforcement and military opportunities with substance abuse counselors, drug programs, healthcare and social service programs. Working together with communities, local, small and non-traditional potential employers and businesses, we can assist District residents to overcome barriers to jobs and targeted careers.

Once again, the “2024 Jobs Not Guns/Jobs Not Drugs Citywide Recruitment Fair” will feature between 75 to 100 exhibitors, including on-floor demonstrations; our goal is to build a strong workforce that is job-ready and will lead to a systematic decrease in the perpetrators and victims of gun violence and drug usage in the Nation’s Capital. All participants are open and free to the public.

The National Association of Minority Contractors—Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Chapter (NAMC-WMAC) co-creator of JOBS NOT GUNS created a “new initiative” JOBS NOT DRUGS, a community-based program funded by the DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) for opportunities for organizations in the District of Columbia to help address the effects of the Opioid Epidemic. Organizations are required to conduct opioid remediation activities that abate the harm caused by the opioid crisis and other drugs.  NAMC-WMAC is a sub-contractor of the Anacostia Coordinating Council’s award received from DBH.

NAMC-WMAC produced the Jobs Not Drug’s Summer Youth Program Series.  “JOBS NOT DRUGS” designed to assist in CREATING JOBS and BUILDING CAREERS! Our overall goal was  to assist youth to address the Opioid Epidemic and other drug use and its impact on employment opportunities. The Summer Youth Enrichment Series will consist of three (3) “Jobs Not Drugs Youth Mini-Career Building Workshops” held monthly from July-September, 2024. Each workshop will recruit 30-35 youth, ages 16-24 from Ward 7 and 8. The goal was to assist youth to develop a Career Work Plan designed to obtain a sustainable career.

NAMC-WMAC conducted the workshops as follows:

• Busboys and Poets Restaurant – July 27, 2024
• Thankful Baptist Church – August 22, 2024
• UDC Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning Congress Heights Campus– September 21, 2024

CREATING JOBS and BUILDING CAREERS!

The National Association of Minority Contractors—Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Chapter (NAMC-WMAC) and the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters/Carpenter Contractor Trust (EAS/CCT) created a “Partnership” with the support of Prince George’s County At-Large Councilmember Calvin S. Hawkins, II to host the first-of-its-kind “2024 Jobs Not Guns Recruitment Fair” in Prince George’s County on June 13, 2024. The event will be held at the EAS Training Center, 8500 Pennsylvania Avenue, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. The overall goal is to provide guidance to residents to overcoming barriers to employment and careers with access to employment, training, apprenticeship, internship, and supportive service programs that can serve as a deterrent to gun violence in Prince George’s County, MD.

“JOBS NOT GUNS” is designed to assist in CREATING JOBS and BUILDING CAREERS! will feature employment opportunities (businesses, developers, general contractors, etc.) skill-training/apprenticeship training, workforce development, and support service programs for County residents. Exhibitors and attendees at the event are free to the public.

“A Road to Employment…Resources in the Neighborhood”

The East of the River Jobs Not Guns Youth Career Building Workshop has been rescheduled to be held on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Panorama Room, 1600 Morris Road, SE, Washington, DC 2020. The Workshop will provide valuable opportunities to DC Public Schools, DC Charter Schools, and youth participating in Out-of School and support service programs. The goal is to provide information on employment opportunities, on-the-job, skill training and support service programs available to assist youth to build a career and earn a living. Students are eligible to receive Community Service Hours to assist in satisfying their Career and Technical Education (CTE) hours required prior to graduation.

“2023 Citywide Jobs Not Guns Recruitment Fair”

The DC Business Gun Violence Prevention Coalition in partnership with the District of Columbia Army National Guard hosted the “2023 Citywide Jobs Not Recruitment Fair” on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at the DC Armory, 2001 East Capital Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003. The Jobs Not Guns Initiative addresses gun violence in Washington, DC by assisting in CREATING JOBS and BUILDING CAREERS! for District residents. With a grant from AmeriCorp/ ServeDC, the partnership worked with the community to host the 10^th Jobs Not Guns Initiative that featured 85 exhibitors consisting of employers, public and private on-the-job training/apprenticeship programs and supportive services for District residents.

In addition to exhibitors, we offered a “NEW ADDITION” to the Recruitment Fair that included ON-FLOOR DEMONSTRATIONS that showcased a variety of employment and training opportunities to build careers. Over 300 persons attended the “Recruitment Fair,” including students from four (4) District of Columbia Public Schools. All Jobs Not Guns events are free and open to the public; youth attendees qualified for Community Service Credit Hours.

The DC Business Gun Violence Prevention Coalition hosted the Ward 2 Youth Career Building Workshop entitled: “A Roadmap to a Career” on September 15, 2023, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. With a grant from AmeriCorps/ServeDC and a mini-grant from the Mayor’s Building Blocks DC, Office of Gun Violence Prevention the Coalition worked with the community to host the 9^th Jobs Not Guns Initiative event, the Youth Workshop that targeted high school juniors and seniors and District youth (ages 16-24) seeking career opportunities. 98 youth participated in the workshop. The focus provided guidance and assistance for overcoming barriers to targeted careers through training, apprenticeship, internship, and supportive service programs that can serve as a deterrent to youth violence in the District.  The workshop featured guest speakers and three panels supported by resource exhibitors.

The DC Business Gun Violence Coalition supported by DC Councilmember Janeese George-Lewis, Ward 4, hosted the “Ward 4 Jobs Not Guns Summit and Recruitment Fair” at Coolidge High School on Saturday, April 22, 2023, from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm.  With a grant from the DC Office of Gun Violence Prevention, the Coalition worked with the community to host the 8^th Jobs Not Guns Initiative the Recruitment Fair that featured one-on-one interviews for District residents with employers, trainers, and support service programs;  __ exhibitors participated and ___ were in attendance.  The purpose of “JOBS NOT GUNS” is to assist in CREATING JOBS! by providing an opportunity for businesses, developers, general contractors, etc. to provide jobs for District residents. Prior Jobs Not Guns Initiatives received great support, we believe that the business community working in partnership with job training/apprenticeship programs, vocational education providers, and supportive service providers can collectively build a strong workforce that is job-ready and will lead to a systematic decrease in gun violence. Exhibitors and attendees at all Jobs Not Guns events are free to the public. This event qualified for youth to receive community service hours.

The Coalition in collaboration with Councilmember Janeese Lewis George co-hosted a “Job Not Guns Business Icebreaker” on April 6, 2023, at Busboys and Poets Takoma for potential exhibitors, including local businesses, employers, training/apprenticeship programs, and support services to provide an overview of the upcoming “Jobs Not Guns Recruitment Fair” in Ward 4. The Coalition worked with the community to host the  7^th Jobs Not Guns Initiative, a reception that shared the purpose of the upcoming Recruitment Fair to confirm exhibitors and networking with other potential exhibitors.  The Icebreaker also shared marketing materials to bring to the event in order to maximize interaction with the one-on-one applicants seeking employment, training, and support services available for employment and training opportunities.