Mayor Andy Berke’s campaign for re-election has released a four point plan "to continue providing more Chattanoogans the ability to get a job and move into the middle class."
The plan, which he said builds on the work of the Berke administration for the past four years, is focused on creating talent pipelines in neighborhoods throughout the city, growing next century jobs, building sustainable paths to the middle class, and ensuring more at-risk Chattanoogans the access to find, and the training necessary to retain, good paying jobs.
Mayor Berke said, “Creating more paths to the middle-class to help struggling families prosper is a complex issue. There is not one simple solution, rather it will take a multi-pronged and researched approach if we hope to make strides and improve the lives of our citizens. Research is clear -- resources provided closer to where residents live, sometimes directly in neighborhoods, have the best chance of seeing results.
“After months of analyzing these issues, researching best practices, and hosting intentional conversations with community members and business owners, I have a detailed plan that will get more folks back to work with more money in their pockets -- improving the lives of their families and strengthening our local economy.”
His campaign said, "After months of research, stakeholder convenings, and work with partners in different parts of Chattanooga’s economy, Mayor Berke presents a detailed platform to propel workforce development, comprised of four key areas of focus: (1) Ladders to the Middle Class; (2) Neighborhood Talent Pipeline; (3) Jobs, not Jail; and (4) Skills for the 21st Century.
"Today’s released white paper provides a blueprint for how specific initiatives proposed by Mayor Berke will address these focus areas, ultimately increasing the value of local workers and improving the lives of Chattanoogans.
"A few of noteworthy initiatives include the creation of a new Office of Workforce Development in City Hall, training in communities with high rates of unemployment, enhanced and expanded partnerships to offer technical training in areas where the city is experiencing rapid job growth, and providing mobile training for job-seekers in neighborhoods across Chattanooga."
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here to read the plan.