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DOES director outlines FY27 'Grow DC' plan, apprenticeship expansion and IT modernizations
Summary
Department of Employment Services Director Dr. Unique Morris Hughes described the FY27 'Grow DC' operating budget request ($182.9M), investments in youth programs and apprenticeships, DC Infrastructure Academy plans and several IT modernization projects including UI/Paid Family Leave and SYEP application systems; Councilmembers pressed for cost, timing and implementation details.
Dr. Unique Morris Hughes testified to the Committee about Mayor Bowser’s FY27 'Grow DC' proposal for the Department of Employment Services and fielded extended questions from Councilmembers. Hughes said the proposed DOES operating budget is approximately $182,900,000 and is composed of local, federal and special purpose revenue streams; the agency administers multiple trust funds including unemployment insurance and the universal paid‑leave fund.
Hughes highlighted the department’s youth and apprenticeship work: DOES expects to provide an estimated 12,000 youth summer positions through Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment (MBS YEP), expand apprenticeship pathways including a first‑in‑the‑nation AI data‑annotator apprenticeship and scale registered apprenticeships in nontraditional industries. The director also discussed the DC Infrastructure Academy, which in FY26 trained hundreds and will expand hands‑on offerings.
Councilmembers probed several capital and IT projects: the Office of Unemployment Insurance and Paid Family Leave share a vendor/application and the agency is in a 'best and final offer' procurement phase for UI modernization. DOES said earlier market responses exceeded prior cost estimates and that their SYEP and UI modernization solicitations are in advanced procurement steps; the director acknowledged capital costs were higher than initially budgeted and promised further data in follow‑up materials.
During Q&A the committee asked for program‑level outcomes: Project Empowerment metrics were cited (FY25: ~1,461 participants served; 687 obtained jobs, a 59% employment rate), apprenticeship counts (6,300 registered apprentices across 370 sponsors) and wage‑enforcement/performance details. Hughes agreed to supply the Committee with more granular grant timing, federal match and slot‑level figures. The Committee left the hearing with numerous follow‑up requests to refine FY27 recommendations.
