CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 6, 2017) – Charlotte City Council
received an update tonight on several key initiatives related to Charlotte’s Community Letter
– an effort to make Charlotte the best city for all.
The updates presented to City Council during Monday’s dinner
briefing were designed to provide additional information regarding the letter’s
focus of building trust in community policing, quality affordable housing,
access to good jobs and other opportunities.
Jobs
The Project PIECE project enrolls
people interested in jobs related to fiber optics, residential/commercial
construction or highway construction in a hands-on course and connects
graduates with local businesses. Participants also participate in mock
interviews building their job skills. The first classes will graduate in the
coming weeks and new classes will begin in April.
The City also is continuing its Youth Employment Program.
This program provides job readiness, career exploration, pre-apprenticeships,
internships and summer employment. So far 939 high school students from 19 high
schools have participated in job readiness, 489 students in mock interviews and
340 students have job opportunities secured. The program also connected
with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for youth diversion programs.
The next event in the program is Career Exploration Day on April 20 which will
involve 4,000 students and 129 vendors. At this event, students can speak with
various employers to learn about jobs.
Community Engagement
Efforts are underway to listen to the Charlotte community.
On Jan. 30, 2017, 151 people attended the Jan. 30 “Can We Talk” forum regarding
the community letter. Conversations centered on city policy, community
relations, housing, jobs and race relations. Over 18 engagement events were
held during January and February.
Communications
Charlotte Communications & Marketing (CC&M) is
taking the lead on messaging and community engagement for the Community Letter.
The goal is to ensure consistent communications across the organization and
effectively share updates regarding the letter with all audiences. CC&M is
developing materials, which will be available March 15, to assist staff with
sharing updates on Community Letter efforts with the community. Also, the
team is using community feedback to create engagement opportunities with new
audiences. The central hub for information and updates can be found on the
city’s website at http://charlottenc.gov/communityletter.