>> CONSTRUCTION IS WELL UNDERWAY ON THE MGM CASINO, SCHEDULED TO
OPEN IN DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD, IN THE FALL OF 2018.
THE JOBS IT WILL BRING, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG SELLING POINT
FOR THE SUPPORTERS.
A COMMUNITY NETWORK HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO CONNECT
MINORITIES, VETERANS AND WOMEN WITH THE FOLKS AVAILABLE.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH THE MGM CONSTRUCTION DIVERSITY
MANAGER AND JYNAI MCDONALD, WESTERN MASS RESOURCE MANAGER AT
TRAINING RESOURCES OF AMERICA TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE JOB
OPPORTUNITIES, AND WITH CHELAN BROWN, AND HOW PEOPLE CAN FIND
OUT ABOUT THEM.
>> THE PARTNERS NETWORK, THERE IS A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS TO HELP THEM FIND
EMPLOYMENT AND HELP THEM TO FIND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND SUPPORT
SYSTEMS AVAILABLE IN THE AREA, AND THEY ALL CAME TOGETHER WITH
MGMAN, WITH LOCAL TRADE UNIONS TO FOCUS ON INCREASING ACCESS
AND OPPORTUNITIES TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, FOR WOMEN
MINORITY AND VETERANS IN THE CITY.
>> TELL ME HOW YOUR ORGANIZATION IS INVOLVED.
>> SO OUR ORGANIZATION IS ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME CASE MANAGEMENT
AS WELL AS ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME THINGS THAT SOME OF THE
PARTICIPANTS MAY NEED WHEN THEY COME IN, AND EVERYONE WHEN IT
COMES TO US IS NOT ALWAYS EMPLOYMENT READY, THEY MAY BE
LACKING SOME OTHER SKILLS, AND WE'RE ABLE TO HELP THEM WITH
THAT, WITH THE WORK READINESS CURRICULUM AND WE HAVE A HIGH
SET PREPARATION PROGRAM AND WE ALSO OFFER FREE ENGLISH CLASSES.
>> SO AS FAR AS IS THE JOBS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, WITH MGM WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT CONSTRUCTION.
HOW MANY JOBS AND CAN ANYBODY JUST COME IN, AN 18-YEAR-OLD
GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, SAY HEY LISTEN I THINK THAT THIS IS,
YOU KNOW, THE DIRECTION THAT I WANT TO GO IN?
>> SO THERE IS A PROCESS TO GETTING ON OUR CONSTRUCTION
SITE.
WE WILL HAVE 2,000 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES OVER THE LIFE OF
THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
BUT WE ARE UNDER AGREEMENT WITH THE LOCAL TRADE UNIONS AND
PARTNERING WITH THEM, SO OUR JOB IS AN ALL UNION SHOP JOB AND IF
YOU ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TO WORK, YOU FIRST HAVE TO GO
THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS OF JOINING A LOCAL TRADE UNION
AND WHATEVER YOUR TRADE THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN, IT COULD BE
CARPENTRY OR IRON WORKING, AND MGM WILL HELP TO WALK YOU
THROUGH THAT BROSES TO GET INTO THE UNIONS AND INTO THE JOB.
>> I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE INTIMIDATING.
>> IT WAS BEFORE WE STARTED THIS PARTNERS NETWORK.
PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE OR HOW TO JOIN OR WHAT IT TOOK TO JOIN
A UNION.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE COMMUNITY
PARTNERS' NETWORK IS THAT PEOPLE THAT WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY
PEOPLE CAN HELP TO GUIDE THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
>> THE GOOD THING ABOUT BEING IN THE UNION IS AFTER MGM IS OPEN
IN 2018 YOUR UNION BUSINESS MANAGER HAS ACCESS TO ALL THE
OTHER CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENTS COMING IN THE CITY, AND YOU WILL
MOVE ONTO ANOTHER PROJECT SO YOU WON'T JUST END THE CAREER WITH
MGM.
>> WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THE PEOPLE YOU ARE WORKING WITH
ABOUT THIS?
>> I THINK THAT THEY ARE ENJOYING THE OPPORTUNITY THAT
THEY HAVE FOR A CAREER, AND NOT JUST A SHORT-TERM JOB, AND IT'S
DEFINITELY FULFILLING THEIR NEED TO IMPROVE THEIR LIFE AND THEY
ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILY, AND AND IT'S DISPELLING
THE MYTHS THAT CAME WITH THEM COMING THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE
THE COMMUNITY'S INTEREST AT HEART AND NOW THROUGH PEOPLE
COMING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS' NETWORK THEY ARE
STARTING TO SEE THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
>> AND ONE OF THE FOCUSES IS MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE HIRING
WOMEN MINORITIES AND VETERANS, TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE PROPPING
THAT'S BEEN MADE THERE.
>> WE'VE BEEN EXCEEDING OUR GOALS FOR THE HIRING OF WOMEN
AND MINORITY AND VETERANS, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT
FROM THEM ASKING THE REGULATORY BODY BECAUSE ONE OF THE REASONS
THAT MASSACHUSETTS WAS EVEN ALLOWED TO RUN CASINOS IS TO BE
AN ECONOMIC STIMULUS FOR WOMEN, MINORITY, AND VETERAN OWNED
COMPANIES, AS WELL AS IN THEIR LOCAL CONSTRUCTION WORK SO EVEN
IF WE DID NOT HAVE THAT GAMING COMMISSION REQUIREMENT, OUR
COMPANY AS A WHOLE PLACES A STRONG EMPHASIS ON WORKING WITH
THE DIVERSE COMPANIES AND WITH WOMEN AND MINORITY OWNED
COMPANIES AND WOMEN AND MINORITY AND VETERANS IN OUR WORKFORCE.
>> SO ONCE THE CONSTRUCTION IS DONE WHICH IS IN 2018 WHICH DOES
NOT SEEM THAT FAR AWAY NOW THAT WE ARE MOVING INTO ALMOST A NEW
YEAR, WHAT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES ARE OUT THERE AND HOW DO YOU
TRANSITION THAT PARTNERSHIP INTO BEYOND CONSTRUCTION?
>> WELL BEGINNING, MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE FOCUSING ON
OUR OPERATIONS SIDE OF THE JOB.
WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING 3,000 LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES HERE FOR OUR
OPERATIONS IN TERMS OF HOSPITALITY, RESTAURANT, GAMING,
AND ENTERTAINMENT AND AS WELL AS RETAIL IN THE AREA, AND SO THIS
UNIT RIGHT HERE WILL TRANSFER OVER TO OUR OPERATIONS TEAM AND
OUR HIRING TEAM THERE AS THEY WORK TO WORK WITH LOCAL
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE
COMMUNITY KNOW ABOUT THE JOBS AND THEY ARE PREPARED FOR THE
JOBS AND TRAINED FOR THEIR JOBS AND READY TO APPLY.
>> AND HOW MUCH PER HOUR ARE SOME OF THESE JOBS GOING FOR?
>> THE AVERAGE SALARY WITH OUR COMPANY IS 45,000 A YEAR.
DEALERS MAKE A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
THEY HAVE -- WE ARE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AND OPEN 24
HOURS A DAY SO IT'S A VERY REWARDING CAREER.
THEY HAVE GOOD WAGES.
>> AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO
MIGHT BE INTERESTED AND DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, WHAT
SHOULD THEY DO?
>> I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET IN CONTACT WITH THE WESTERN MASS
COMMUNITY PARTNERS' NETWORK AND SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE
AVAILABLE FOR THEM.
AND IF THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN CONSTRUCTION, BUT THEY ARE
STILL INTERESTED IN A CAREER PATH THEY SHOULD SEE US AND WE
CAN HELP THEM.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.