ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the efforts of community economic development institutions to construct and implement innovative programs to effectively promote employment. Workforce development seeks to create not only benefits for workers who are gainfully employed but also for employers. Second Chance, Inc. is a community-based nonprofit in Baltimore that defies easy categorization. Second Chance, Inc. sends trained people into buildings that are ready to be demolished where they remove “specific usable elements” from the buildings. Community-based agencies can help build career ladders through working with area employers, providing specific training and wraparound support ser-vices. Closely related to sectoral employment strategies, but with a more specific focus on intrasector advancement, is the concept of career ladders. Efforts in the areas of sectoral employment, career ladders, temporary staffing, network building, and community college partnerships all indicate that there is and will continue to be a critical role for community-based organizations in local workforce development efforts.
