In announcing new HopkinsLocal goals tightly focused on addressing inequality in Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is doubling down on efforts to build the city's economy by bringing work and opportunity to the people in the city who need it most.
The HopkinsLocal effort to "Build, Hire and Buy" in Baltimore has to-date brought jobs at Johns Hopkins to 1,457 city residents and an additional $113 million to city vendors. Under the next set of three-year goals, the University and Health System will continue to hire local workers and buy from local businesses and are pledging to do even more to support the city's racial minorities, women and veterans in fueling individual and community wealth.
"With the launch of HopkinsLocal in 2015, Johns Hopkins deepened and strengthened our commitment to Baltimore and embedded the ethos of economic inclusion in all we do," said Johns Hopkins President Ronald J. Daniels. "Over the past four years, we have far surpassed our initial goals, but there remains more we can and must do to requite this commitment to our hometown. Today, our new goals apply the lessons learned so we can expand and better target our efforts, creating more jobs and opening more pathways to economic opportunity for our neighbors and their families."
University and Health System leaders announced the next set of three-year goals today, at a job and business fair at Baltimore's Reginald F. Lewis museum. The essence of the plan:
HIRE: We will not only continue to increase the number of local hires, we will expand our targeted city neighborhoods, and increase our focus on the career advancement and growth of these new hires.
- Increase local hiring from focus-area neighborhoods in selected roles to 50% and nurture the career advancement and growth of these employees.
- Expand targeted positions to include mid-level and higher paying jobs, and expand the focus-area neighborhoods to also include 21239, 21214 and 21229 ZIP codes.
- Increase access to employment opportunities for citizens with criminal records.
BUY: We will not only continue to buy more from local, minority, women and veteran-owned companies, but we will advise targeted vendors on strategies to grow their businesses.
- Increase spending with Baltimore businesses by $25 million, with an emphasis on minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned companies.
BUILD: We will not only continue to increase participation with disadvantaged minority, women, and local businesses, but also develop programs to support the growth and capabilities of these firms.
- Commit 20% of addressable construction spending with certified minority-owned, women-owned, disadvantaged businesses.
- Commit 13% of addressable construction spending with Baltimore City businesses.
INVEST: Assign at least $75 million of Johns Hopkins endowment to be managed by a minority-owned firm.
"This effort further builds on our commitment to Baltimore by connecting Johns Hopkins with local people and businesses," said Health System President Kevin Sowers. "To truly succeed, Johns Hopkins and Baltimore must work together. Our goal is to increase economic opportunity, so that our success is the community's success."
Johns Hopkins surpassed its original economic and employment goals for HopkinsLocal. Since launching the initiative, the university and health system have hired more than 1,400 city residents, spent $113 million more with local vendors, and committed tens of millions annually to minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged businesses in the design and construction industry. In addition, 74 design and construction businesses completed the BLocal BUILD College program, 548 previously convicted individuals were hired at the university and health system, and 26 non-local companies agreed to hire, procure, or invest in Baltimore.
"The success of HopkinsLocal is a direct result of the power of meaningful local partnerships," said Alicia Wilson, the university and health system's vice president for economic development. "Our success is shared - shared with those we hire, those we buy from, and those we build with locally. We are in Baltimore, of Baltimore, and share a destiny with Baltimore."
