The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is one of seven institutions that are committing to improving the economy in disadvantaged Milwaukee neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
The Milwaukee Anchor Collaborative, comprised of major health care and educational institutions, has pledged to hire more people of color and spend more with minority-owned businesses in the disadvantaged neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
The Milwaukee collaborative, modeled on others in cities around the country, was formally announced Aug. 5, though planning and data gathering have been underway for two years, according to Jennifer Abele. She is 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s senior executive director of strategic partnerships and a member of Chancellor Mark Mone\u2019s cabinet.<\/p>\n
In addition to 51ÁÔÆæ, partners in the Milwaukee Anchor Collaborative include Aurora Health, Ascension, Children\u2019s Wisconsin, Froedtert Health, the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University.<\/p>\n
The collaborative will focus on using the members\u2019 combined buying and hiring power to help improve economic conditions in certain ZIP codes, whose residents are predominately low income and people of color, according to a statement announcing the effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur efforts at 51ÁÔÆæ on diversity, equity and inclusion have been focused on student success and the makeup of our faculty and staff, said Abele. \u201cWhat this initiative does it takes it beyond those two realms and into a community driven strategy. We are working together with these other institutions to try to move the needle in these targeted ZIP codes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Milwaukee Anchor Collaborative members have pledged to increase hiring and corporate spending in Milwaukee\u2019s eight lowest-income ZIP codes: 53204, 53205, 53206, 53208, 53210, 53212, 53216 and 53233.<\/p>\n
For people of color \u2013 especially those living in the target ZIP codes \u2013 Milwaukee ranks among the worst cities in the U.S. in many economic categories.<\/p>\n
By providing sustainable employment and livable wages, the anchor collaborative\u2019s efforts would lift more people out of poverty. By investing in local businesses, the collaborative would help create jobs \u2013 and a ripple effect that revitalizes neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a major commitment by those with the power to make a significant difference,\u201d said Bill Krugler, president of JobsWork MKE (formerly Milwaukee JobsWork), a nonprofit that organized the collaborative. \u201cWe\u2019re excited and optimistic this will help lift more people out of poverty and revitalize neighborhoods that have been neglected for too long.\u201d<\/p>\n
In anchor collaboratives, which are forming in cities nationwide, members commit to using their collective economic power to employ residents in disinvested neighborhoods and purchase from businesses there.<\/p>\n
Similar collaboratives in other cities have made efforts such as combining purchasing power for goods and services from small businesses such as laundering, florist services and catering. \u00a0The seven members collectively spend $2.9 billion per year on items and services where there could be an opportunity to spend locally, said Abele. Right now, most of it is spent outside of Milwaukee.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf all of us nudge up our buying power in each of these ZIP codes by just a couple percent, it\u2019s going to improve the economy,\u201d she added. \u201cThat\u2019s what is so exciting about this \u2013 our combined buying and hiring power is so great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rodney Moutry, director of the Milwaukee Anchor Collaborative, agreed. \u201cPeople in the target neighborhoods need jobs, and employers need people to fill their open positions,\u201d he said. \u201cOur focus is to identify and prepare people to fill these jobs and establish careers. It becomes a win-win.\u201d<\/p>\n
While each institution has some specific job needs, there are many categories such as facilities management, food service and administrative support where all the institutions are interested in hiring people, said Abele. The institutions will work with JobsWork MKE on finding and preparing employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese anchor institutions already have demonstrated they have the economic power, and commitment to our community, to make a positive impact. Now, working together, their impact will be even greater,\u201d said Timothy Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.<\/p>\n
The institutions are working on their individual plans for purchasing and recruiting efforts in the Milwaukee collaborative, Abele said. Additional details on specific efforts will be announced in this fall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis partnership enhances 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s strategic pillars of research and talent and community,\u201d she said. Although the planning for this collaboration started before the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent racial justice movement, the effort supports 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s continuing efforts to further equity, inclusion and diversity, Abele added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt supports the Wisconsin Idea of how our academic institutions can better the communities we live in\u2026 How can we be a good community partner in addition to fostering a strong culture among our students, faculty and staff.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is one of seven institutions that are committing to improving the economy in disadvantaged Milwaukee neighborhoods.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":835,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[174,200],"tags":[],"section":[122,126],"display_categories":[],"related-coverage":[260],"uwmnews-feed":[],"class_list":["post-95171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-news-in-brief","section-campus-community","section-campus-news","related-coverage-community-engagement"],"yoast_head":"\n