The City of Richmond’s Workforce Development Program (Program) provides a pathway for individuals to take control of their own economic futures, including occupational training for skilled positions. The Program also provides job training for selected individuals coming out of incarceration, giving them an opportunity to reenter society with a trade or skill and aiming to reduce recidivism. The Program’s welding and metal fabrication certification course partnered with the City’s Pedestrian & Bicycle initiatives to develop an enterprise project that would produce bike parking racks that the city had been purchasing from large national
suppliers. Utilizing the budget for the bike racks to provide seed money and collaborating with outside (business) partners allowed the Program to provide a needed product for the City while keeping City expenditures in the community.