FW: Please join us for the June 4th Economic Opportunity Workshop from 8:15-Noon at the Police Protective Association Event Center

Please join Denver City Councilman Doug Linkhart and Denver Office of Economic Development Executive Director André Pettigrew to discuss the next steps and strategies for implementing the recommendations of the Denver Economic Prosperity Task Force.

 

Economic Opportunity Workshop

The Denver Economic Prosperity Task Force is a joint initiative of the Mayor of the City and County Of Denver, Denver City Council and the Denver Office of Economic Development.

 

Date:

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Time:

8:15 a.m. Check-In

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks from the Task Force Co-Chairs

9:00-Noon Concurrent work sessions for each Recommendation

Location:

Police Protective Association

2105 Decatur St.

Denver, CO

 

Please RSVP with your name, organization, and the breakout session you plan to attend by calling 720-913-1668.

 

André Pettigrew of the Office of Economic Development and I have been co-chairing Denver’s Economic Prosperity Task Force for the past year. The Task Force was comprised of policy makers, businesses representatives, nonprofit agency representatives and community leaders. The mission of the Task Force was to assess the economic condition of Denver residents, examine current programs and develop five actionable actionable recommendations to create systemic change that will improve the economic well being of all Denver residents. Our goal was to implement this mission by identifying unique and innovative tools, partnerships and approaches to maximizing economic outcomes for Denver residents, while concurrently fueling positive economic development for the City as a whole.

 

To this end the Task Force developed five actionable goals:

 

1.  Financial Literacy for Adults: Improve financial literacy and increase opportunities among adults for asset building and self-investment by increasing access to and use of financial education tools, banking options and other financial resources. 

 

2.  Financial Literacy for Youth: Improve financial literacy, knowledge, awareness, and management skills among youth, leading to increased financial opportunities

 

3.  Strategic Public Assistance: Improve the delivery and effectiveness of community oriented services through partnerships, coordination, and cooperation among a wide range of community assistance providers and stakeholders. 

 

4.  Revised Eligibility Standards: Identify appropriate assistance levels for households at the safety net and security level by developing and implementing an alternative benefits eligibility standard that reflects modern household expenses, spending and resources.  Explore ways to address the cliff effect.

 

5.  Comprehensive Job and Business Assistance: Develop a comprehensive resource for education, training, career advancement and business development possibilities that anticipates future employment opportunities, and market trends, and includes alternative education, alternative credentialing, mentoring and youth programs.

 

The time is now to create system-wide changes that will enable residents to achieve a more economically secure future. The current economic recession highlights the need to make it easier for people to change jobs or start a new business in response to changing economic conditions. It also highlights the need for people to reach a level of economic security, with sufficient saving and support systems to weather economic storms.

 

Your input and support is critical for the success of this initiative and we hope that you will join us in creating a more prosperous and stable Denver for all residents. Please also feel free to share this invitation with other interested stakeholders. The full report is available on-line at: http://www.milehigh.com/newsdata/Studies.

If you have any questions about this workshop or the Economic Prosperity Report do not hesitate to contact myself, André Pettigrew (andre.pettigrew@denvergov.org) or our staff Katherine O’Connor (katherine.oconnor@denvergov.org) or Ursla Null (ursla.null@denvergov.org).

 

Sincerely,

 

Doug Linkhart

Denver City Councilman at-Large

City and County Building

1437 Bannock St., Suite 451

Denver, Colorado 80202

720-865-8000

www.douglinkhart.org

 

"Investing in Youth and our Community"

 

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