Mayor Launches Workforce Week

Published on February 24, 2025

1,400 community members benefit from City’s job skill training and credentialing investments

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird with local business and manufacturing partners today announced the City’s strategic investment of American Rescue Plan Act funds (ARPA) in workforce development initiatives has now helped over 1,400 community members gain new job skills, earn new credentials, or start high-wage careers. The Mayor also issued a proclamation declaring the week of February 24 as Workforce Week in Lincoln.

“The City of Lincoln and our partners are committed to building a workforce that provides opportunity and financial security for all,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird. “When we invest in people, we strengthen businesses, grow our economy, and make Lincoln a place where everyone can afford to take care of themselves and their families as, together, we grow the great life.”

Monday’s news conference at the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce was the first in a series of four Workforce Week events February 24 through 27. Each day Mayor Gaylor Baird and community partners will highlight how they are creating local opportunities that strengthen the economy, grow the workforce, support local businesses, and enhance the overall quality of life in Lincoln.

Mayor Gaylor Baird highlighted several significant outcomes resulting from workforce partnerships funded or created by the City of Lincoln:

Construction of the new Sandhills Global Technology Center and creation of its new Office of Work-Based Learning by Southeast Community College enabled 360 students to train for a variety of high-demand careers.
Construction of classroom space and a new computer lab at The Bay High helped guide 230 high-school aged students toward college, work, or internship opportunities. Those served include 54 participants in the Gap Year program, an eight-month workforce skill and career accelerator program designed for young adults ages 18-24.
The Center for People helped more than 180 people enroll in Google Career Certificate training, with 61 earning certificates that prepare them to obtain jobs in the information technology field.
Community Action has helped credential and improve wages for 26 community members for careers in early childhood development, with 52 more currently in training.
The American Job Center has funded and facilitated the credentialing of 42 residents with Commercial Driver’s Licenses, with plans to credential a total of 80 individuals, supporting high-wage jobs in a high-demand field.

Joining Mayor Gaylor Baird at the conference were Tom Beckius, City Council member; Jason Ball, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President and CEO; and Jim Townsend, Kawasaki Motors Corporate Manager.

Monday’s Workforce Week event highlighted the Lincoln Manufacturing Council (LMC), a collaboration with the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development (LPED) which offers a variety of programs to prepare underemployed or unemployed individuals for careers in manufacturing. To ensure participants complete the program, LMC provides supportive services including stipends, childcare assistance and transportation assistance.

Since receiving a $1.05 million ARPA Workforce Development grant from the City of Lincoln in 2022, LMC has enrolled 275 community members, with 212 already having earned credentials and secured jobs in the manufacturing sector.

Programs offered by the LMC include:

Manufacturing Basics Certificate – This six-week introduction to manufacturing prepares participants for entry-level jobs
Manufacturing Skills Certificate – This four-month skills training program is intended for individuals with some manufacturing experience who are interested in growing their skills
Manufacturing Upskilling Scholarship – This scholarship is for underemployed or unemployed individuals with manufacturing experience who want to grow in their careers

Ball said the said the program has a large impact on the community because the career opportunities it offers benefit local employers who hire LMC graduates and provide pathways to great careers in the manufacturing industry.

“LMC is a program that changes people's lives for the better. It has given economic options to people who felt stuck in their circumstances, it has provided skills development and career tracks to graduates, and it has helped employers find and strengthen workforce in Lincoln,” Ball said. “It is one of the most powerful workforce programs I’ve ever worked with, and that has been edified by the International Economic Development Council.”

Townsend thanked the partners – LPED, SCC, Total Manufacturing Company, Bison Inc., and the Lincoln Chamber – for helping grow the LMC from a discussion in 2017 to a program responsible for creating workers who have the confidence to work in manufacturing.

“It showed Nebraska what we do in Lincoln: we got tired of talking and became a culture of action,” Townsend said.

Beckius said workforce investments by the City and its economic development partners create paths to success for community members.

“By providing residents with access to training and education in high-wage, high-demand industries, we are empowering them to secure meaningful employment while strengthening our local economy,” Beckius said. “The investments the City is making to bolster workforce development programs are a testament to our commitment to making Lincoln an even better and more affordable home for everyone who lives here.”

Visit lincoln.ne.gov/WorkDevProgram for more information on the $12 million in workforce development program grants awarded to nine non-profit organizations in Lincoln.