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Events DC describes academy, carpentry partnership and job placement for returning residents
Summary
Events DC leaders told council members their Events DC Academy and a partnership with the International Carpenters Union placed participants in jobs; the agency said 63% of 2025 hires were D.C. residents and that grant-funded training produced placements.
On Feb. 11 Events DC officials described workforce investments aimed at connecting District residents to hospitality and event-industry jobs. Dr. Steven Johnson (executive vice president) said the Events DC Academy is an eight-week, hands-on vocational program run in partnership with the carpenters union and that many participants are returning citizens. "This program not only focused on skills, but also focused on those soft skills," he said, describing on-site training and graduation supports.
Angie Gates and Johnson told the committee the Academy had five participants in its first cycle, all of whom were employed by the end of the program, and that Events DC planned to expand placements in FY26. Gates emphasized wraparound support: the agency provides meals, Metro cards and case assistance when barriers to participation arise, and staff said Events DC can track participants and follow up on employment retention. The agency also said about 63% of Events DC's new hires in 2025 were District residents, calling that a deliberate hiring outcome.
Council members pressed for follow-up data on long-term retention, 18-month employment checks and how Events DC will scale the Academy; Events DC said it has capacity to track retention and will implement longer-term check-ins if requested. The committee asked for written documentation of program outcomes, participant numbers and the pipeline from training to contractor hiring.
