In a letter sent earlier this week, Ward Four Councilman Nicholas J. Narducci, Jr., encouraged Johnson & Wales University to make a greater effort to employ local residents at their flagship Providence campus. The letter was sent in response to the university hiring out of state contractors for a number of recent projects.

“Our state is full of qualified people looking for work,” said Councilman Narducci. “In Providence, especially, people are eager for employment opportunities. There’s no need to search far and wide when the help you need is right here at home.”

Rhode Island has been particularly hard hit by the recession. A recent study from the Department of Labor and Training estimated that more than 12 percent of the state’s workforce is seeking employment, one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, despite Rhode Island’s status as one of the most highly educated states in the country.

In discussing the letter, the councilman emphasized the special responsibility universities and other tax-exempt organizations have to the public that helps support them. “The people of Rhode Island help Johnson & Wales by granting them tax-exempt status, so it only seems right that Johnson & Wales make an effort to help the people of Rhode Island in these tough economic times,” said Narducci.

 “With the help of institutions like Johnson & Wales, we can turn our state around and bring ourselves out of this economic hole,” said Narducci.

Copies of his letter were sent to Mayor David Cicilline and the members of the Providence City Council.