PhilanthroTeach, Inc.

Mission Statement:

The mission of PhilanthroTeach is to provide 21st century employability and lifestyle skills free of cost to unemployed and econoimcally disadvantaged people and make them self-sustaining through the giving and support of the community.

How We Are Making A Difference:

According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Nashville- Davidson county has a labor force (those able to hold positions of employment) population of 338,000 with only 309,350 people employed as of May 2011. Leaving roughly 29,000 men and women unemployed and searching for employment. Nashville- Davidson County has an unemployment rate of 8.6% with the State of Tennessee average reaching to 9.7% and the National average resting at 9.1% (Tennessee Department of Labor,2011).

With unemployment rates at all time high, many Nashville residences find themselves looking for employment in market saturated with competition for jobs. Providing those who are unemployed and/or economically disadvantaged with career and technical skills is important now more than ever in developing individuals who are attractive to potential employers. “Workforce development” is an essential component of community economic development in any economic climate, and certainly even more critical during the financial crises we’re experiencing today.

Generally speaking, the term has come to describe a relatively wide range of activities, policies and programs employed by geographies to create, sustain and retain a viable workforce that can support current and future business and industry. According to a study from the Urban Institute, “in an era in which skill acquisition is more important than ever as determinants of labor market earnings, we are spending fewer and fewer public (federal) dollars on workforce development initiatives over time” (Holzer, 2008).

PhilanthroTeach forms partnerships with college and university faculty members/ graduate students who have a passion for making a difference in the local community. These academics donate their time, talents, knowledge, and experience to the PhilanthroTeach cause by designing workforce development workshops and participating in PhilanthroTeach’s 8-week holistic approach to WFD. Our program provides practical and informative career and lifestyle skills to place those we serve on a fast track to success, specifically designed to include skills sets most desired by employers. PhilanthroTeach is assisting those we serve to secure a stable income source, while at the same time transforming their lives by making former hardships memories of the past. Through our workshops, programs, and collaboration with local nonprofit organizations, PhilanthroTeach hopes to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve by giving them the tools necessary to find and excel in a meaningful job, maintain a stable lifestyle, and put them on the path to lifelong success. We also work to touch the lives of the instructors who volunteer by giving them the opportunity to use their expertise for a higher calling, one to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.

Sources:

"Labor Force Estimates- Tennessee & United States." Tennessee Department of Labor, May 2011. Web. 21 July 2011. <http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/may2011county.pdf>.

Holzer, Harry J. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AS AN ANTIPOVERTY STRATEGY: What Do We Know? What Should We Do? N.p.: Urban Institute, 2008. N. pag. Web. 20 July 2011 <http://www.urban.org/publications/411782.html>.