Section 10-A715. ED-4 INCREASING ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT

 

715.1At the heart of an economic development agenda for the District is the need to create good quality jobs and wages for District residents. “Quality” jobs should offer stable employment with opportunities to advance. By improving the District’s educational system and job readiness programs, more residents may participate in the workforce, and the benefits of a stronger and more diverse economy can be more widely realized. 715.1

 

715.2According to employment projections prepared by the Department of Employment Services (DOES), over half of the jobs to be created by 2012 will require a bachelor’s degree or better. District students need to be equipped with the education needed for these jobs so they can fully participate and benefit from economic growth. 715.2

 

715.3In addition, the need to improve occupational skills, job training, and job placement in the city is clear. Although the region’s 3.2 percent unemployment rate in 2005 was lower than other comparable regions, and its job growth rate of 2.3 percent was the best in the nation, the District itself lags in key employment indicators. Its unemployment rate has been several percentage points above the region’s, and often twice as high. As shown in Figure 7.3, since 2000 the District has seen the peculiar trend of job growth coupled with rising unemployment. 715.3

 

715.4Comprehensive action is needed on multiple fronts to address the issue of long-term unemployment. Continued efforts are needed to improve education, job training, and job readiness so that residents are equipped with the education and skills necessary to enter and remain in the workforce in jobs and careers that provide sufficient wages. Job readiness requires more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic skills; it also requires essential life skills-so-called “soft skills”, such as problem-solving, interacting with others, behaving responsibly, and organizing time effectively. 715.4

 

715.5There is also a need to recognize that many of the job opportunities potentially available to District residents are located outside the city. In fact, nine in ten of the new jobs created in metropolitan Washington during the next 20 years will be in the suburbs. Many of these jobs will be service, repair, sales and clerical positions suitable for entry-level employees or employees without advanced degrees. Thus, an important part of improving access to employment is improving access to the region’s job centers. 715.5

 

According to employment projections prepared by the Department of Employment Services, over half of the jobs to be created by 2012 will require a bachelor’s degree or better. District students need to be equipped with the education needed for these jobs so they can fully participate and benefit from economic growth.

 

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The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.