Health and Human Services
Capacity Building of a Second Chance Jobs Movement in Baltimore
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Status: Complete
Quantified Ventures worked with Turnaround Tuesday, a second chance jobs movement, and Decision Point Strategy Group to develop a 10-year vision and corresponding strategic 2-year action plan to build and scale this unique job readiness and support community, including decision frameworks, financial modeling, and sustainability planning.
A core differentiator between Turnaround Tuesday and typical “jobs development” programs is its success in establishing and retaining trusting relationships and a persistent sense of community – with and among participants, employers, funders, service providers, and the broader communities served.
Problem
Baltimore City struggles with high unemployment and underemployment rates, particularly for criminal justice involved individuals. Baltimore is home to only 9% of Maryland state residents but accounts for 40% of people in state prison. Each year, an estimated 2,963 individuals are released from state or federal prison to Baltimore. Over 2,000 additional individuals may be experiencing long-term unemployment.
While several job placement programs exist, very few have successfully addressed in a coordinated manner the complex set of challenges faced by these individuals and prospective employers. This persistent lack of equitable opportunity for economic mobility has inhibited community resilience efforts and impeded progress toward broad-based revitalization of Baltimore’s economy.
Approach
Turnaround Tuesday’s mission is “to prepare, train, and connect returning, unemployed, and underemployed citizens to livable wage jobs and to build a vibrant public life.” Participants do not simply have one interaction with the organization, but rather the program is driven by the fostering of long-term community and building of personal relationships.
Using a come-as-you-are approach, participants have access to a spectrum of highly individualized, intensive training and support from Turnaround Tuesday with connection to additional wraparound services from an extensive network of community partners to assist with mitigating or removing barriers to employment.
Without successful engagement individuals and families are at higher risk for adverse outcomes such as (re) involvement in the criminal justice system, poor physical and/or mental health outcomes, family separation, and other effects of persistent lack of economic opportunity. Those who are underemployed are less likely to access jobs with higher wages or a career path. The resulting impact is felt by the affected individuals, their families, employers, and broader communities.
Impact
Through strategic growth, by 2033, we estimated Turnaround Tuesday will be able to place 6x as many participants into livable wage jobs - increasing the number of people directly supported in obtaining employment to approximately 1,600 annually.
Additionally, Turnaround Tuesday is planning to expand into other comparable communities in the State and region by defining the criteria and necessary conditions for expansion. Eventually the hope is to establish the Turnaround Tuesday Movement in 5-10 similarly challenged communities beyond Maryland.
Multiple stakeholders stand to see significant impacts from this growth. State and local governments will see improved employment rates and reduced reliance on benefits. The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services will see reduced incarceration and recidivism. Private employer partners will see recruiting and retention benefits.
“Turnaround Tuesday is creating a world where there are no throwaway people.”
—Turnaround Tuesday Community Partner
In the Press
Partners
“Authentic relationships and a persistent sense of community are absolutely essential to the success of Turnaround Tuesday. Those things are hard to scale with fidelity. Quantified Ventures took the time to experience our movement and what makes it uniquely impactful. From there, they developed an ambitious yet attainable long-range vision for growth and a concrete 2-year action plan to move us towards that vision. They did so in a way that rigorously considered business and financial realities while prioritizing our key pillars. The action plan has been our roadmap ever since, driving growth and sustainability across the organization. ”