Marano Fellows Class of 2014
Name: Edith R. Westfall
Title:

Director, Center for Workforce Strategies

Organization:

Workforce Development & Lifelong Learning Division UDC-Community College

Location: Washington, DC
Industry Sector: Hospitality
 

Organizational Background & Mission: Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning (WDLL) is a division of the UDC-Community College. Our mission is to reduce unemployment and underemployment by enhancing the skills of District residents. Throughout the 2013 school year, WDLL served 2,878 District residents with courses or programs in one of four pathways- Nursing and Allied Health, Construction Trades, Administrative Technology or Hospitality. In March 2014, WDLL will be offering the first set of classes in the fifth pathway, Transportation. In January 2014, we acknowledged 929 students who completed a WDLL course, which represented the largest graduating class in the history of the Division.

Interest in Sector Work: My interest in sector work stems from my understanding of District residents, the Washington metropolitan area labor market, and evidence based practice across the country. My motivation comes from two places. DC is fortunate that we have more jobs than unemployed. I feel we owe it to our residents to make them competitive for these jobs and this strategy works.

I am focusing on hospitality because it is a growing industry in the District. From new hotels to tourist attractions, performing arts venues, events, and sporting arenas, the local industry spans a broad range of jobs. We have received funding from DC Workforce Intermediary and from DOL TAACCCT grants that encourage us to focus on employers and pathways.