At a time when public safety is a big concern, the city of Atlanta is looking for ways to help steer young people away from crime and toward lifelong careers.
It’s part of the reason Mayor Andre Dickens announced Thursday the creation of the city’s first-ever Department of Labor.
Dickens made the announcement after touring the Georgia Building Trades Academy located on the property of the headquarters for the local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The YouthBuild program teaches Atlanta’s youth how to be electricians, welders, and carpenters.
“They’re gaining valuable skills that will help them feed a family, fill a refrigerator, and take their lives to the next level,” Dickens said.
Dickens said his administration would propose legislation to establish the department next month, which would then take effect with the new budget cycle in July.
The department will be funded using federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars and Workforce Development dollars that are set aside from Atlanta’s Gulch redevelopment deal, the mayor said. The funds will be allocated to Work Source Atlanta.
Dickens said the department will ultimately oversee the city’s labor efforts, federally funded programs, and its youth employment services, which include the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment program and the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Institute.
“It’s going to be about data and performance and apprenticeships and citywide support for fair and equitable labor practices throughout the city,” Dickens said, “through proper monitoring and enforcement.”
The mayor named Humeta Embry as the new Labor Department’s Liaison Officer.
“We intend to give voice to working families,” Embry said, “and to ensure that there is dignity in all work.”
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