By George P. Hassett

East Somerville residents will have the first opportunity to apply for 500 new jobs the IKEA in Assembly Square is expected to bring. Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced the local hiring agreement Friday.

According to the agreement, IKEA will contribute $100,000 toward an employment training program for Somerville residents and provide six computers to be placed throughout the city for use by residents applying for positions at the new store. 

IKEA will also advertise its recruiting efforts in local newspapers for four weeks prior to its recruiting efforts to the general public.

In addition, Somerville residents will have the first opportunity to apply for open positions for two weeks before the general public and applications of East Somerville residents will be considered first. Outreach materials will be translated in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole and will be distributed by the city to community organizations and individual homes.

‚ÄúWith this agreement IKEA has shown their commitment to the residents of East Somerville and the broader Somerville community,‚Äù Curtatone said. ‚ÄúSince the start of discussions with IKEA, it has always been essential that our residents have the first shot at the 500 jobs that this store will bring to Somerville. I’m thrilled that by working closely with IKEA and the community, we have crafted an agreement that all parties can be proud of and that will, most importantly, benefit the members of this community.‚Äù

The jobs agreement was the first priority of a recent East Somerville organizing campaign sponsored by the Somerville Community Corporation (SCC) and East Somerville Neighbors for Change (ESNC). The East Somerville Initiative took input from 300 neighborhood residents and a dozen organizations over 18 months on East Somerville’s greatest needs.

The number one priority was job growth for area residents in anticipation of large-scale development at Assembly Square.

The initiative came in response to the anticipation of the Green Line extension and other neighborhood improvements that could drive up rents and force out longtime residents, said organizers. In June, SCC Executive Director Danny LeBlanc said the issue at the heart of the initiative is preventing displacement of neighborhood residents.

SCC and ESNC organizers did not comment on the agreement this week and said they are waiting to learn more details. At least two parts of the East Somerville Initiative campaign to guarantee residents jobs are not covered in the agreement.

Neighborhood residents had wanted an oversight committee made up of community members to monitor IKEA’s local hiring progress. They also wanted a specific goal for the percentage of employees hired from Somerville. Neither condition was included in last week’s agreement.

City spokeswoman Lesley Hawkins said IKEA has agreed to provide city officials with local hiring data every six months for two years after the store first opens but there will be no specific hiring commitment to hold IKEA to.

“We did not want to put a quota on IKEA. There may not be enough qualified Somerville residents applying to fill their jobs,” she said.

A community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the Edgerley School. Officials from IKEA and the city will be there to answer questions and discuss their plans.

Work is scheduled to begin on the site of the future IKEA store and this year.