MI addresses the issue of economic inequity by offering access to skills and competencies that direct workers on pathways to economic security. We provide participants with workforce development opportunities, job placement assistance, and advocate for fair-wage paying jobs. Each year, more than 1,000 individuals are involved in one or more of the following activities: workforce training, job placement, housing, and educational opportunities.
The City of Berkeley and Bayer West Berkeley Fund are active MI partners that support this program.
Job Placement
This service creates a pathway to financial self-sufficiency, economic advancement and overall stability for day laborers and other low-income adults. Employers may hire day laborers for a short-term, long-term, or permanent basis. Its unique service model to day laborers is based on daily street outreach which allows staff to offer efficient job matching and social services while improving conditions on the street where day laborers seek work. MI advocates for a $20/hour rate and a 3 hour minimum.
Day Laborer Housing
MI offers transitional housing to unsheltered day laborers and other homeless individuals. The community living is designed to offer a safe and dignified way of living for day laborers who would otherwise be homeless; provide management and leadership opportunities since day laborers to take leadership roles in the selecting process, management, and maintenance of each property; and provide day laborers facing a health emergency with a safe space to recover.
Worker Advocacy
In order to help day laborers and other low-income workers reach financial stability, MI offers applied learning workshops that provide direct and indirect paths to becoming a better prepared worker. Life skills workshops and trainings are mostly done on the street corners where day laborers congregate. Other worker support services available are wage claim and legal assistance, filing taxes and soliciting ITIN numbers and updated information on city labor and wage standards.