This week, New Hanover County Chair Jonathan Barfield attended a national roundtable to address issues for communities of color. The event was sponsored by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which conducts research and suggests policy solutions to create equal opportunities for all Americans, regardless of race.
Twenty-five elected officials of color were selected to participate in the roundtable, and Chair Barfield says it was an honor to have been chosen. He arrived home on Tuesday night, and he already has plans to begin implementing the roundtable’s lessons. One idea is to apply for federal TechHire grants, which fund training for low-skilled workers in the fields of coding and IT:
“Going to sit down with our county manager and our economic developers to figure out how can our county tap into some of these TechHire grants where the federal government will actually send resources to our communities to train individuals in different areas of technology.”
Barfield also wants to bring the My Brother’s Keeper initiative to the county. The program aims to address opportunity gaps faced by young men of color by connecting them with mentoring and training for good jobs or higher education.