CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS

Spectrum Community Assist is launching an initiative at Beatties Ford Vocational Trade Center as part of a five-year plan to invest in job training programs in underserved communities.

A westside job training center will get an investment in career development programming from a major communications company.

Charter Communications will launch the Spectrum Community Assist plan on Oct. 16 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Beatties Ford Vocational Trade Center, 1406 Beatties Ford Road. The national initiative follows a five-year plan to improve community centers and invest in job training programs for underserved populations in 41 states.

“The more we can put into it, it can provide awareness for people around the community,” said Rahman Khan, Spectrum’s vice president of community impact.

Spectrum is donating $50,000 to support the center’s goal to provide people with the skillsets necessary to enter the workforce. Part of the donation will go toward 25 new laptops with free 1 gigabit internet service. Volunteers and employees will pitch in with restoration of the center by painting and redoing classrooms on site.  

The hope for the initiative is that more individuals will take part in the job skills training, especially after unemployment levels increased due to COVID-19. Khan hopes that by 2025, the Spectrum Community Assist plan will impact 50,000 residents over 100 community centers throughout the country.

“Community centers are hallmarks of our neighborhoods; people turn to these centers for support, shared experiences, and for help developing new job skills or finding employment,” said Rhonda Crichlow, Charter’s senior vice president and chief diversity officer. “Seven years ago, we set out to make a difference in our communities through Spectrum Housing Assist, which provided critical home repairs for low-income homeowners. Spectrum Community Assist is a natural evolution of that successful effort, extending our support for the communities we serve to local centers and organizations providing important programs and career development training.”

An estimated 8.4 million Americans are unemployed, according to the U.S. Department of Labor and an estimated 17 million workers may need to transition to new jobs in the post-pandemic world. Charter’s $25 million investment, along with $5 million of in-kind contributions over five years will directly benefit job training organizations.

Charter, Spectrum’s holding company launched the program in September at the Better Family Life Community Center in St. Louis, Missouri, followed by Charlotte and Stamford, Connecticut, in November.

Revitalization events with employee and community volunteers are held at each job training center as well as investments with cash grants and in-kind contributions to improve physical classroom spaces as well as new equipment, including laptops and furniture.

Comments