Trustees to manage Jobs Creation and Retention Trust fund, work with stakeholders to implement workforce development strategies, and more

The City of Somerville is currently seeking applicants for the newly created Jobs Creation and Retention Trust (JCRT) Board of Trustees. Responsibilities for members will include managing the JCRT fund, working with the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) staff to implement strategies outlined in the workforce development strategic plan released early this year, identifying target industry sectors and resident demographics for job training programs, soliciting project proposals, and more.

In addition to the Mayor, Board of Aldermen President, and Superintendent of Schools (or their designees), the JCRT Board of Trustees will be made up of the following representatives:

·       Two representatives from local workforce development nonprofits

·       Two Somerville residents, with a preference given to those who have participated in the City’s workforce development programs

·       Two representatives from local businesses

In order to stagger the terms of the non-municipal members, initial appointments of one member from each of the above categories shall be for two years. The other members will serve for three years.

Interested parties should submit a resume and brief answers to the following questions to Economic Development Specialist Ben Sommer at bsommer@somervillema.gov by noon on Friday, September 14.

1.      Identify which category of public seat you are applying for (local nonprofit, local business, or resident) and describe your interest in participating on this board.

2.      What has been your interaction with the workforce development system, agencies, or nonprofits as a job seeker, employer, professional, or other stakeholder?

3.      Have you served on a nonprofit board or governmental advisory committee in the past or currently? If so, what is one lesson would you take from that experience to the Job Creation and Retention Trust Board of Trustees?

4.      What do you believe is the biggest threat facing the regional labor market in the next 10 years?

5.      What do you believe is the most urgent issue facing job seekers or employers today that the Job Creation and Retention Trust could address?

Applications will be reviewed by the Mayor’s Appointments Advisory Committee (AAC) and you will be notified if you are selected as a finalist. For more information about the AAC, please visit www.somervillema/gov/appointments.

Background Information

The creation of the Jobs Creation and Retention Trust is the result of the City’s 2016 approved home-rule petition to institute a workforce development linkage fee to support additional training programs to prepare residents for and connect them to new job opportunities.

After an extensive evaluation of the commercial development landscape, incoming industry sectors, and resident educational and skill attainment, as well as exploration to further conceptualize the future JCRT Board of Trustees structure, the Somerville Board of Aldermen voted in December 2017 to approve a zoning amendment creating the JCRT fund and setting the jobs linkage fee at $2.46 a square foot on commercial development projects of more than 15,000 square feet.

In September of 2017, the Economic Development division of the Office of Strategic Planning Community Development (OSPCD) initiated a 9-month strategic visioning and planning process for the City’s workforce development programs and ecosystem. The resulting strategic plan, the Talent Equity Playbook, will serve as a guiding document for the City of Somerville as it increases its investment in developing and empowering Somerville’s labor force and expands its role into that of a leader in regional workforce development.

For further background information, please review the Somerville Nexus Study, JCRT enabling legislation, and the Talent Equity Playbook.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to

access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or nsalamoun@somervillema.gov.