Workforce Development : Features

Low-income workers often lack the basic skills needed to find a good job. To bridge the gap, experts says it's essential to invest in training. Yet despite millions of people out of work, programs are hard to find.

The tech demonstration center on the former campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital aims to elevate opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship in Congress Heights.

The foundation educates youth and young adults while improving Kingman Island for future generations.

The HOPE Project, also called "the Harvard of the hood," takes DC residents working minimum-wage jobs and trains them for careers in IT.

The panel discussion and pop-up market brought roughly 300 people together to shop and learn about the state of manufacturing in the District.

Reusing building materials "keeps items that normally would end up in the landfill in the community," says one project manager. Nonprofits have been pushing the idea for decades, but now industry, in D.C. and elsewhere, is catching up.

D.C.'s charter school boom isn't just for kids. The public charter school board recently approved the seventh adult charter school in the city. Here's why these schools are an essential part of giving District residents a leg up.

A training program is aiming to place up to 600 District residents  in hospitality jobs. The ambitious program's goal is to fight unemployment in D.C.'s poorest neighborhoods.

“When our youth don’t see their neighbors, parents, or family members going to work every day it makes having a job seem like an unattainable thing,” says one employment program director. But the teens taking part in these summer internships and job training programs are getting another view: one that shows them that they can contribute to the work world.

Though yet to emerge in full color, fashion in Washington is growing. With both established and indie designers setting up shop in the District, and a forthcoming incubator that will provide resources to six designers, Washingtonians seem to be learning to embrace the benefits of good style. 

Men far outnumber women in tech. But now, two new D.C. organizations are helping women and young girls break into the traditionally male world.

A new entrepreneurship program is venturing local funds to help under-employed D.C. residents launch profitable enterprises of their own. Will Enterprise DC combat unemployment with startup profits?

How is D.C.'s tech sector different from that in other cities? Can it someday rival New York's? These questions and more were discussed Thursday at #TechintheCity, a spirited panel discussion.

Former D.C. mayor Anthony "Tony" Williams has been helming the Federal City Council for the past nine months. Elevation DC asked him about the nonprofit's biggest challenges and opportunities for the coming year.