Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System say they have hired 332 workers from distressed neighborhoods in fiscal year 2017, part of an initiative to spur economic growth in low-income communities.
The two also committed $61.3 million, 20.3 percent, of construction project spending to minority-owned, women-owned or disadvantaged businesses.
HopkinsLocal is a three-year program launched by the two Hopkins institutions in 2015 that aims to increase economic empowerment in Baltimore neighborhoods by expanding partnerships with local and minority-owned businesses, increasing hiring and training of city residents.
According to Hopkins’ most recent progress report, the university and health system boosted spending with local businesses by $20.5 million, or 23 percent, for a total of $109.8 million in the second year of the initiative.
They also reported hiring 332 Baltimoreans from city neighborhoods with high poverty and unemployment rates, and from areas around the Hopkins campuses, into certain entry-level positions. That’s up from the 304 Baltimoreans hired in fiscal year 2016.