By Brittney Gathen, Special to The New Tri-State Defender
For many, the job searching and retaining process is a challenge and multiple factors can amplify that difficulty for residents in a community such as Frayser.
According to 2015 Census data, 11.5 percent of Frayser’s population was unemployed. Frayser residents – according to 2015 data from American Fact Finder – totaled 43,729, the majority (84.7) of which were African Americans.
Steve Lockwood, executive director of the Frayser Community Development Corporation, pointed to the transportation challenge for Frayser job seekers and workers.
“Public transit in general in Memphis is inadequate, and I think that goes for double in Frayser,” Lockwood said.
“We’re this old suburb out on the edge and an awful lot of the jobs that don’t require college degrees – entry level jobs, warehouse jobs, (some) FedEx jobs and such – are a long way away. One of the things we’ve often said is that you cannot work at FedEx (in the hub) and not have a car. You’re going to get off at 3 in the morning, and there’s no other way (to be transported).”
Lockwood suggested Memphis use an Uber ride share transportation model that would allow Frayser residents to effectively be transported to and from their jobs, regardless of the time they get off.
A lack of full-time employment options, Lockwood said, also prevents some Frayser residents from having stable employment. He cites as an example the Nike North America Logistics Campus located in Frayser.
“I’m disappointed in Nike because they keep people on part-time with a temporary status, rather than putting people on as full-time employees and giving them benefits and stability.”
That’s a concern he registered with Kyle Veazey, deputy director of Communications for the City of Memphis, during Veazey’s recent visit to a Frayser Exchange Club luncheon. Mayor Jim Strickland, Veazey said, has made site visits to several businesses or employers but he wasn’t sure if there had been a visit to Nike. On Wednesday, Veazey said Strickland has not yet gone to Nike.
Nike officials had not been reached for comment by TSD press deadline on Wednesay.
Meanwhile, Union Grove Baptist Church Pastor Charlie Caswell, who established the Frayser Rotary Club, said more job training programs are needed. He’s trying to connect the Frayser community with businesses to increase the opportunity for employment.
“I’m trying to get more business owners involved in seeing the prospect of investing into a community like Frayser and seeing that there is some hope for the community,” Caswell said.
Union Grove serves as an incubator for local businesses. It’s been the venue for job fairs and has been used to house and promote various local businesses.
Caswell would like for city leaders to make more investments in infrastructure and provide incentives for companies to enhance interest in Frayser.
Tyrone Spencer, a Frayser Neighborhood Council and Frayser Rotary Club member, owns Spencer’s Total Fitness. He said improving safety could attract more companies to the area.
Spencer also said Frayser could benefit from more employment options such as full-time warehouse jobs, IT and computer positions and call center positions. He wants to be on the forefront of efforts to attract new companies.
“From my standpoint, I think (my contribution would be) meeting with the commissioners, city council members and different people in other businesses’ corporate offices and trying to find out from them what it would take to bring companies to Frayser that will employ more people,” Spencer said.
Improving Frayser’s employment environment is going to take collective efforts from Frayser stakeholders, he said.
“I think that building a stronger workforce in Frayser starts from the top,” Spencer said. “I think it starts with people in certain positions, who represent Frayser, standing on the front lines, being more vocal and trying to talk to some of these outside companies about coming into Frayser.”
