Employ Milwaukee Receives $2.6 Million to Increase Job Quality for Hospitality Workers

Employ Milwaukee is the recipient of a $2.6 million grant from the Department of Labor through their Critical Sector Job Quality Grants. This funding will support the launch of Serve MKE: Quality Jobs for Hospitality Workers, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at elevating job quality and creating pathways to advancement in the Milwaukee hospitality sector.

“Serve MKE represents a pivotal step towards improving job quality and economic mobility for hospitality workers in our community,” said Chytania Brown, President & CEO of Employ Milwaukee. “For too long, essential jobs in the hospitality sector have been characterized by low wages, limited benefits, and minimal opportunities for advancement. Through Serve MKE, we aim to address these disparities and ensure that all hospitality workers have access to gainful, quality employment that aligns with the Department of Labor Good Jobs Principles.”

Serve MKE aims to serve 400 individuals and will engage hospitality workers, worker organizations, and local employers to implement worker-centered strategies designed to enhance job quality and foster career advancement. By convening stakeholders and leveraging evidence-based practices, the program will empower historically marginalized populations, including people of color and economically disadvantaged individuals, to secure meaningful employment in high-demand hospitality occupations.

Serve MKE will connect new and current hospitality workers to opportunities for skill and job advancement through on-the-job training, paid internships, and occupational skills training. Participants will also receive supportive services to ensure individuals can participate in and successfully complete training activities, as well as to successfully onboard and retain employment. Employers will experience increased retention rates among employees, subsidized wages for training and upskilling their workforce, and an opportunity to contribute to the design of the program to ensure it meets the unique needs of Milwaukee’s hospitality workforce

For more information on Serve MKE, contact Jeffrey McAlister at jeffrey.mcalister@employmilwaukee.org 414-270-1733.

Employ Milwaukee is the local workforce development board serving Milwaukee County with a mission to build a strong workforce development system by planning, coordinating, collaborating and monitoring workforce initiatives with businesses, partners and community stakeholders to ensure a skilled and productive workforce for the 21st Century.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.