Lessons from Commonwealth Club's panel on using public-private partnerships to address jobs, education, and economic development

On September 20, 2011, the Commonwealth Club hosted a panel discussion on public-private partnerships and how they can be used to boost jobs, education, and economic development (see names of panelists below). The key points from the panel discussion were:

1. Partnerships are not just a monetary relationship, but a relationship in which the people in a community come together, identify the problems, and bring the necessary people to the table that can help address the problem.
2. Each sector (government, business, etc.) needs to re-think the roles they've played in the past and think about taking on different responsibility in the future.
3. Nonprofits need the government to be their voice and for corporations to invest in them, give them access to markets, and help strengthen their infrastructure (capacity building).
4. Other roles the government can play include getting peoples attention and creating incentives (being a catalyst) for partnerships.
5. To get more collaborations, organizational silos need to be broken down and instead organizations in all sectors need to look at problems with a team approach.
6. There needs to more discussion on shared issues in a community and employees need to hold their organizations accountable and push them to be part of these conversations.
7. Set goals and use this as a catalyst to get together - there's too much time spent on talking about and describing the problem and how hard it is to address.
8. There's a need for more convening across sectors with each organization really investing in the joint effort. 
9. Successful partnerships have real metrics and hold people accountable. There's failure when one sector tries to charge off in their own direction. 
10. How can people get involved? People and corporations can donate, volunteer, make in-kind contributions, and advocate on behalf of the public sector organizations.

The panel discussion brought together knowledgeable people that provided a good discussion on the wonderful uses of public-private partnerships to boost jobs, education, and economic development. With resources low and an elevated need for services, I hope that 2012 brings about more partnerships whether public-private or public-public.


On September 20, 2011, the Commonwealth Club hosted a panel discussion on public-private partnerships and how they can be used to boost jobs, education, and economic development. (Panelists: John Donahoe, CEO, eBay Inc.; Member, White House Council for Community Solutions, John Lee, Executive Director, The Bread Project, Nicole Levine, Executive Director, Women's Initiative for Self Employment for San Francisco and the Bay Area, Sid Espinosa, Director of Corporate Citizenship, Microsoft Corporation; Mayor, City of Palo Alto, Moderator: Sydnie Kohara, Broadcast Journalist) Source: Commonwealth Club of California

HirePatriots.com: Saving heroes through the power of community-wide partnerships

HirePatriots began as a response to a Marine who returned from Iraq to discover his wife and two small children living without utilities, due to his wife being laid off while he was deployed. He knocked on the founders’ door and asked: "Sir, Ma’am, I need to earn some money right away to get the electric and gas turned on in my home for my family. Do you have any work that I can do for you right now around your home or yard?"

 

And so in 2004 a free job board for residents and businesses was launched across America so that they could hire their local military, veterans and their spouses, either for One Day, Part time or Full Time: www.HirePatriots.com.

HirePatriots’ One Day jobs are the only employment safety net that our military and recently transitioned veterans have. Tens of thousands of US residents every year pitch in and help out by posting their chores and repairs when they need help.  In fact, so many residents embrace this program that HirePatriots received the “Visionary Award for Creating Economic Development.”

So pitch in today and Help Save a Hero. –Post your job(s) and hire a local US military, veteran or spouse today. Say thank you in a way that makes a difference. – Be a Hero: Save a Hero! – HirePatriots.com!

Read some comments from community residents who use the site here: http://bit.ly/9z0h0f

Collaboration between the philanthropic, business, and government sectors leads to $30 million in aid in Connecticut

A collaboration of state officials, the business community, and the nonprofit sector resulted in a whopping $30 million in aid. The collaboration sought this funding for economic development efforts in Connecticut's urban areas which have suffered as a result of the recession. For more on this story, which was featured in the Hartford Business Journal Online, click here.

This is one example of how collaborations truly pay off. There is strength in numbers - well in this case expertise and resources.  If you have a goal and you are able to gather everything (e.g. resources, expertise) that you need to accomplish that goal, then you are more likely to succeed because you have everything that you need.

The results are in on Microsoft's "Elevate America" state voucher program

From February 2009 to August 2010, Microsoft partnered with states and the District of Columbia to provide free computer skills training to help the unemployed get the training they need to get back to work and under-skilled workers get more training as part of their Elevate America Initiative. In the end, Microsoft distributed more than 800,000 training and certification vouchers to the states and the District of Columbia who then distributed the vouchers to these individuals.

Overall this program had many successes and helped many people across the nation. Like all great things, there's always room for improvement and  Microsoft details their lessons learned, including the policy implications of the program, in their report titled Elevate America’s State Voucher Strategy to Promote Employability Lessons Learned.

Starbucks and the Opportunity Finance Network partner to "Create Jobs for USA"

Ever wondered what you could do to help put Americans back to work? Well Starbucks Coffee and the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) have thought of one great way that you can. Purchase an "indivisible" wristband for a minimum of $5 in one of Starbuck's company-operated stores or online at createjobsforUSA.org and 100% of your money will go towards the "Create Jobs for USA Fund" at  OFN. OFN will award these funds to community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that help finance community businesses.

Definitely a great partnership that will help address one of this issues contributing to unemployment in this economy - lack of banks lending to small businesses.  Americans can feel good about contributing because that small amount can really help create and sustain local jobs. We won't know the true impact of the program for a while but in the meantime, check out success stories on createjobsforUSA.org.