In response to unpredictable federal funding and constrained state budgets, officials at the nonprofit organization Skills for Rhode Island’s Future say they’re adapting their approach by improving partnerships with local municipalities to meet community-specific workforce needs.
A recent uptick in unemployment has also prompted a renewed focus on local economic growth, broadening the scope of economic development initiatives by tailoring programs to each municipality, whether it’s helping a would-be restaurant owner navigate the regulatory process or an aspiring tradesperson looking to launch a retail operation in Woonsocket.
Understanding, for example, how to maximize earnings or navigate complex business landscapes is critical, says Nina Pande, executive director of SkillsRI. And the initiative has broader implications as the state grapples with a brewing crisis stemming from an aging workforce and a declining number of younger individuals equipped with the necessary skill sets.
And municipalities are increasingly exploring self-employment avenues beyond traditional roles.
“We have widened our aperture as we look at economic development,” Pande said. “While traditional jobs remain significant, there’s a noticeable increase in gig workers.”
The strategy encompasses traditional adult employment, self-employment opportunities and youth employment, the three tiers that must all be addressed in concert.
And it’s not only Lyft drivers or food-delivery haulers, Pande says.
The gig economy’s landscape is vast, incorporating various roles, including artists and sole proprietors working on collaborative projects.
“The gig economy extends beyond just drivers,” Pande said, adding that fundamental business practices remain consistent across all these sectors.
Entrepreneurs must learn to optimize their earnings, utilize data effectively and navigate complex urban environments, ultimately becoming more astute businesspeople.
Microenterprises, which represent 98% of businesses in Rhode Island, often begin with a great idea but require guidance to professionalize their operations.
Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera says her city’s significant low-income population stands to gain from the job training programs that come from a deeper partnership with SkillsRI, particularly as federal and state funding sources grow fewer.
“Achieving our vision in Central Falls necessitates strong partnerships,” she said. “Given the fluctuations in federal funding and tight state budgets, it is crucial for local governments and mission-driven nonprofits to come together to forge a path forward.”
In May, the city inaugurated a centralized resource hub at 934 Dexter St., providing complementary support to the community. The new Central Falls Business Center will act as a one-stop shop where organizations such as Skills for Rhode Island’s Future can tailor workforce opportunities to meet local needs.
In September, the Woonsocket City Council approved an ordinance allocating $75,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to establish a centralized small-business resource center. Mayor Christopher Beauchamp describes the Woonsocket Small Business HUB, located within the Woonsocket Education Center, as a comprehensive support system for business development.
“We want businesses to thrive not just month to month, but year to year,” he said. “Our new entrepreneurs are passionate, but they often lack knowledge of the crucial details for success.”
The HUB also aims to cultivate relationships among local business owners, fostering ongoing conversations that extend beyond immediate transactions.
“Even if you don’t end up working together right away, it’s about starting up that conversation,” he said.
In East Providence, Mayor Roberto DaSilva is exploring various options to promote a resilient local economy, collaborating with SkillsRI on several initiatives, including its own small-business hub that provides technical and regulatory assistance to local enterprises.
“This may include obtaining legal advice on business formation,” he said.
The city has also worked with the nonprofit to allocate over $713,000 of an available $1.2 million to 92 businesses, fully compensating 40 affected by the closure of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge.
Plans are also underway to potentially convert a former elementary school in East Providence into a small-business incubator. While DaSilva added one business resource staffer to his administration after he took office, SkillsRI staff is currently assisting with the Economic Development Administration’s grant application to fund a feasibility study.
“This approach effectively multiplies our workforce in terms of economic development,” DaSilva said.
And to ensure local youths do not withdraw or “retreat” from the state’s workforce, SkillsRI is continuing its PrepareRI initiative to provide job training through paid internships.
By the end of June, the organization anticipates the graduation of 250 participants who will enter the workforce with one of more than 100 partner employers.
Rhode Island is facing massive retirements in the coming years in critical positions, Pande says.
“We don’t have enough replacement talent for the aging workforce. It’s a symptom of our public education system,” she said. “Our workforce systems have not been aligning strategies. But these are viable paths to really good jobs.”
Beauchamp says doing more with less may be the workforce development model for the foreseeable future. But municipalities are adjusting.
“This reassures small-business owners that they are not navigating this journey alone,” he said.
(A earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Skills for Rhode Island’s Future program called PrepareRI in the 24th paragraph.)
