Building and Strengthening Coalitions

As the partnerships studied demonstrate, reaching for greater effectiveness generally means growing beyond a partnership's starting point—broadening the coalition and building links to additional community, business and union partners, to government and educational institutions and to new funding sources. The experience of the Southern Nevada Carpenters Journeymen and Apprentice Training Program and the Culinary Union Training Center in reaching out to the religious and Latino communities in Las Vegas is a good example.

The growth and adaptability of programs such as New York's Consortium for Worker Education is based upon its ability to work across unions, with community organizations and within the political and governmental infrastructure. New and existing partnerships can learn from other partnerships' organizational, community and political savvy. Lessons and tools available from the past experience of others include:

• The building blocks and steps involved in building coalitions with community organizations, employers and government.
• Sources of public resources—including universities for research assistance—for economic development, employment services, job training, job creation, investments, research and more.
• Best practices in serving displaced workers, assisting youths and new workforce entrants and meeting employers' needs for skills and training.
• Best practices in connecting workers, unions and community organizations with real employment opportunities.

Working for America Action Steps: The Institute will:

• Share information and materials and directly assist labor organizations, where possible, in the process and practices of coalition building and opportunities for developing high road relationships with community colleges and universities.
• Work with community based organizations on a national basis to encourage, support, learn from and build linkages with local organizations that are developing job strategies.
• Develop and disseminate timely information on new opportunities under the Workforce Investment Act, as a means of linking with community partners
• Provide information on other potential public resources, such as other grant opportunities through the U.S. Department of Labor, the Economic Development Administration and the departments of Commerce, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services.
• Share best practice information on worker-centered learning, workplace literacy, peer advocacy and incumbent worker training.