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Urban Dreams Apprenticeship Program
The City of Cedar Rapids recently contracted with Urban Dreams (UD), a Des Moines based inner city nonprofit that provides substance abuse, mental health, job training and placement, inmate reentry services, community engagement, education, and community advocacy for people of color and low-income individuals and families. Working with the City and local industry, UD will create and implement a workforce training apprenticeship program for Cedar Rapids.
The Cedar Rapids Urban Dreams program will implement a holistic approach, providing participants with preemployment training and an additional support network focused on continuous training, development, and mentoring.
Some of the strategies will include:
• Establishing partnerships between Urban Dreams and local employers to create sustainable workforce pipelines
• Creation and implementation of a career readiness and “soft-skills” training course, covering skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce
• Case management assistance for all clients placed by UD at participating organization/ industry partners
• Technical assistance for the organization/ industry including cultural competence training and program evaluation
“We are extremely excited to work with area businesses to create models that are specific, intentional, and will make great progress in Cedar Rapids,” said Izaah Knox, Urban Dream Executive Director. “This is a collaborative effort, and we want to partner with area businesses to help create new pipelines to diverse populations to help fill critical workforce gaps and provide brand new hope for families and individuals in the community.”
The program focuses on adults and young people from the City’s underserved and low-socioeconomic areas. UD will work with individuals who have had barriers to success, including high school dropouts or at-risk youth, individuals lacking career guidance or understanding of career opportunities, those with prior criminal records, and those under or unemployed.
Because many people underserved, underrepresented, and living in poverty often lack some employment skills required to succeed in business, the program will include training in “soft skills,” assistance with enrollment in school where appropriate, community service requirements, and ongoing monitoring of graduates.
This innovative collaboration brings together businesses, non-profit and service organizations, and individuals for the betterment of the entire community. Urban Dreams is a significant investment in the economic and social future of Cedar Rapids.
