Amplify, a Chicago-based organization committed to closing the opportunity gap for the region’s underserved, has announced that it is recruiting young women of color for its first cannabis workforce development cohort. The tuition-free, five-week, in-person program is designed for young women living in Chicago communities that have been disproportionately impacted by violence, criminal activity, economic disruption, and educational disinvestment, and will prepare them for career pathways with local cannabis retail dispensary employers.
Prospective students should schedule a phone meeting with an Amplify program coordinator to learn about student qualifications, upcoming information sessions, and the student selection process. To learn more, call the Amplify Cannabis Retail Cohort Hotline at 312-967-4182 before the deadline date of February 6.
“While there’s a collective effort to support social equity owner/operators, Amplify is creating pathways out of those same ravaged neighborhoods for young, deserving talent as entry-level employees,” said Amplify Chicago organizer Cindy Kosydor. “We are currently recruiting students for the cohort.”
Only 20 women will be accepted into the free cohort, which begins February 27 and graduates students for immediate entry-level employment in April. Amplify is recruiting young women of color, aged 21 to about 30, from Chicago’s underserved and under-resourced communities. Students must have prior retail employment experience. Women with juvenile or criminal justice-system involvement are encouraged to inquire.
The upcoming cannabis retail cohort is the organization’s first cannabis-specific initiative. Amplify worked with Cindy Kosydor, a Midwest cannabis consultant, to design its inaugural cannabis cohort. The program blends Amplify Chicago’s best practices of restorative justice, conflict mediation, prevention, development, and behavioral health with the regulated cannabis industry’s best curriculum, training modules and increasing commitment to diversity, inclusion and social justice. Leading social equity advocates, minority women and men actively working in the cannabis sector, multiple cannabis employers and leading retail technology providers will custom-deliver 80 hours of classroom instruction over five weeks, and on five subjects: cannabis history, culture, Illinois regulated cannabis industry, plant science and dispensary retail management principles.
“Adding a cannabis-specific workforce development cohort is an obvious evolution for our Chicago organization and its mission,” said Ted Christians, Amplify Chicago CEO. “Cannabis companies have become leading employers locally and realize Amplify Chicago is equipped to cultivate the diverse and deserving entry-level talent that they are committed to hiring. We expect this cohort to show how we can succeed in closing the opportunity gap because it is built from collaboration with those in the cannabis industry who are also committed to transformative justice. Our first collaborative effort is to directly transform the lives of the 20 women accepted into this first Amplify Cannabis Retail Cohort.”
For more Illinois cannabis industry news, visit here.
To learn about cannabis-friendly events in Illinois, visit here.
For Illinois News Joint reviews, visit here.
To qualify and receive a medical patient card at a discounted rate, visit here.
The post Amplify recruits women of color for workforce cohort appeared first on Illinois News Joint.