HUMANMADE

Humanmade is an Advanced Manufacturing Training Center with an open-access Design, Fabrication, and Prototyping Facility that empowers individuals with the skills to create a better future. Located in the heart of San Francisco's Design District, Humanmade brings an all-new "learn-design-make-manufacture" model to the industry. By offering multiple types of training, from entry-level to advanced, our mission is to provide individuals with life-changing skills. From our Next Generation Manufacturing Workforce Development training programs to after school STEAM programs, Humanmade guides individuals in our community to become the next generation of inventors, designers, and makers by providing access to the best training, tools, and facilities.

In partnership with the city of San Fransoco's Office of Economic and workforce development, the mayors office, and SFMade the Next Generation manufacturing program target's historically underrepresented and economically depressed communities in San Francisco. To identify target communities, we analyzed San Francisco district racial, educational, and employment demographics. Communities who are considered “extremely low income” or individuals making less than $44,850 a year and BIPOC communities are explicitly targeted.

In San Francisco, these two demographics overlap in 5 neighborhoods: Bayview/Hunters Point, Western Addition, Oceanview/Merced/Ingleside, SOMA, and the Tenderloin; where over 75% of the population identify as BIPOC. In addition, approximately 48% of San Francisco residents who identify as African American/Black live in these five key neighborhoods. On average, residents from these neighborhoods often earn less than 70% of the AMI and are 10% more likely to have only a High School diploma or less education than the average San Francisco resident. Humanmade’s existing Next Generation Manufacturing Training Program (NGMT) is SF’s first 12-week workforce development training program designed to provide low-income and underrepresented residents with the skills needed to obtain an entry-level career in the manufacturing sector. Through NGMT, we have built relationships with community organizations in these neighborhoods to reach clients who could most benefit from workplace skills training, short term case management, and referral services.

Over the last 2-years, Humanmade has successfully laid the groundwork to recruit clients from these neighborhoods. Despite being in a global pandemic, in 2020 alone, Humanmade was able to place over 30 individuals into life changing jobs, in one of the least impacted industries. Additionaly, 27.3% of all previous NGMT graduates reside in a target neighborhood, 52% of existing participants reside in a neighborhood that is more than 60% BIPOC, 76% of NGMT participants identify as one of OEWD’s priority populations including English Language Learners, Re-entry, Gender Minorities, Public Housing Residents, and Veterans.

To better connect with these communities, Humanmade engages with long standing organizations that are already on the ground, working with potential clients. Prior to the pandemic Humanmade would meet with potential clients at community centers and conduct informational sessions. However, since March 2020, we have engaged with community organizations virtually and developed on the ground efforts posting flyers in laundry mats, grocery stores, and at community centers to reach clients where they are. These organizations include Young Community Developers, HOPE SF, YMCA Bayview/Hunters Point, and Goodwill.