Meet the job training groups fighting for better economic mobility in D.C.
Employment is getting harder to come by in D.C.
In fact, as of August, D.C.’s unemployment rate is at 6.0% –– the highest in the country. Its unemployment rate increased by 0.7% from August 2024.
About 17% of D.C. residents lived in poverty in 2024, and marginalized communities were hit the hardest. Last year, 30.5% of Black residents and 11.9% of Latino residents lived in poverty, while poverty rates for non-Hispanic white residents sat at 4.6%.
With little room for economic mobility in D.C., multiple organizations and non-profits are fighting to change those statistics.
From on-the-job training to employment counseling, here’s a look into some local and governmental groups working to serve D.C.’s unemployed population.
LGBTQ-focused programs
Cesar Toledo, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, knows the struggles of escaping poverty firsthand.
As a first-generation Latino raised in an immigrant household, Toledo said he was able to escape the poverty cycle through educational opportunities.
“Serving as an executive director for the foundation and supporting the most vulnerable members of our community…really gives me a front line perspective to the work that needs to be done to ensure that not only can our youth survive, but they can thrive independently, live on their own and being able to afford their own apartment,” Toledo said.
The Wanda Alston Foundation provides a variety of services to open new pathways toward economic mobility, including housing for homeless LGBTQ youth in D.C., free counseling and accessible employment opportunities. The foundation also offers educational support to their housed youth so they can continue to work toward securing an education.
The organization recently launched an initiative called “Slay & Sauté,” giving those it supports an opportunity to learn cooking skills that eventually open the door to a culinary career.
Email: contactus@wandaalstonfoundation.org
Phone: 202-465-8794contactus@wandaalstonfoundati
Project LEAP
Project LEAP is a program sponsored by Damien Ministries that supports job seekers in the D.C. area who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary.
You can request to be paired with a one-on-one job coach, where you’ll receive pre-employment training and the tools necessary to overcome economic barriers.
Project LEAP has two other programs dedicated to jobseekers. One, called Project LEAP We Thrive, is a support group for men of color to discuss the employment challenges they face. The other, called Project LEAP Job Start, is for early-career job seekers to receive mentorship on entering the workforce and ensuring their resumes and interview skills are up to par.
The project also offers a “Style Closet,” where job seekers can receive a clothing consultation to ensure they are stylistically prepared for an interview.
Email: projectleap@damienministries.org
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center Job Club
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center hosts weekly job club meetings to help those entering the workforce or struggling to find employment.
The group’s goal is to “improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely ‘applicants’ toward being ‘candidates,’” its website reads.
Meetings are held on Zoom every Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Email: supportdesk@thedccenter.org
Read more here in the Washington Blade.
