About us
The District Workforce Innovation Consortium is a next generation sector partnership between private and public entities aimed at confronting workforce challenges in the nation's capital, Washington D.C. In a city brimming with untapped talent and plentiful job opportunities, this initiative is pivotal in channeling skilled labor into high-growth industries.
Inaugural Consortium champions
Demand and Untapped Supply
The District of Columbia's unemployment rate, currently at 5%, stands slightly above the national average. However, this statistic reveals a more nuanced and optimistic scenario upon closer inspection. Across Wards 1-6, the average unemployment rate is notably lower, at 4.4%., Conversely, Wards 7 and 8 report a higher-than-average unemployment rate of 10%, underscoring the necessity for tailored attention and support in these areas.
In a heartening contrast, the Washington, D.C. metro area, which includes Maryland, Northern Virginia, and D.C. itself, is marked by a vibrant demand for skilled professionals, especially in the burgeoning fields of technology and cybersecurity. This area is the proud host of nearly 100,000 jobs in cybersecurity, claiming the title for the highest concentration of such employment opportunities in the country. This reveals a silver lining: a ripe environment for bridging the employment gap through focused training and education initiatives. By aligning workforce development efforts with the booming tech industry, there's a tangible pathway to not only reducing unemployment rates across all wards but also securing the District's position as a nexus of innovation and opportunity in the tech sector.
At the Heart of It All
The Consortium activities take place across the District with a center of operations at Penn West Equity and Innovation District. “Situated in the nation's capital, Penn West is a part of a close-knit community that is committed to leveraging technology and creative urban planning to chart the future of the American downtown”, says Elizabeth Packer, Manager of Penn West.
With access to low-cost, highly flexible workspace; proximity to diverse tech talent, including local students from George Washington University and seven satellite universities from across the nation, and connections to government and policy makers, Penn West offers an inclusive and accessible location for all innovators. Initiatives like the Consortium make complete sense here!
