Attachment 4
JobTrain (STEM) Proposal
November 4, 2022
Mr. Hanson Hom, Interim Community & Economic Development Director City of East Palo Alto
1960 Tate Street
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Subject:
Revised Measure HH Job Training Programs Grant Proposal: STEM Fields Dear Mr. Hom,
On behalf of JobTrain’s Board, staff, and clients, I would like to thank the City of East Palo Alto for allowing JobTrain the opportunity to submit this revised funding request, in response to the City’s Measure HH Job Training Programs RFP.
JobTrain is respectfully requesting a grant of $102,687 for FY2023, which if awarded, will be used to support the Career Training and Job Placement of 20 East Palo Alto residents through JobTrain’s STEM Fields Information Technology Career Training Programs, IT Service & Support and Advanced IT Network Plus.
These fully accredited Career Training Programs combine vocational training, academics, essential skills development, career guidance, job readiness and placement, and intensive wraparound services that will empower the East Palo Alto residents that we serve, to reimagine their future and create their own unique, and often alternative pathway to success and full economic mobility.
Attached to this Cover Letter are the Following Documents:
1. JobTrain’s STEM Fields Grant Proposal Narrative.
2. Resumes for the Key JobTrain Personnel assigned to this project.
3. Three Letters of Reference from JobTrain IT Employer Partners.
4. Cost Structure for JobTrain’s STEM Fields Technology Programs.
JobTrain has reviewed all attachments included with the Measure HH RFP, including all aspects of the City’s Contractor and Professional Services Agreement (Attachment 5), including the City of East Palo Alto’s insurance requirements. JobTrain understands and agrees with these documents and has no questions or concerns relating to them.
Once again, thank you for allowing JobTrain the opportunity to respond to the Measure HH RFP, and for your kind consideration of this funding request. If you have any questions relating to JobTrain’s STEM Fields Information Technology Programs, or require any additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Barrie R. Hathaway
President & CEO
Board of Directors
Chair:
Ellen Eder
Anjali Anagol-Subbarao
Brian Beattie
Karen Bradford
Juanita Croft
Dan Finnigan
Bruce Harrison
Alex Holt
H. Jaclyn Ishimaru-Gachina
Mayuresh Kulkarni
Lisa Lee
Richard Leong
Kim Lopez
Frank Quintanar
Sherri Sager
Misti Sangani
Cecilia Taylor
Isaiah Vi
Orlando White
Strategic Advisory Committee
Chairman
Paul Chamberlain
Former Managing Director
Morgan Stanley
Sukhinder Singh Cassidy
Founder & Chairman, the Boardlist
Dick Gould, Former Director of
Tennis Stanford University
Wade Loo, Retired Partner
KPMG
Ronnie Lott
NFL Hall of Fame
John Lovewell, President
The Lovewell Company
Hon. Becky Morgan, President
Morgan Family Foundation
Dean Morton, Former COO
Hewlett-Packard
Russell Pyne, Managing Director
Atrium Capital
John Sobrato, Chairman
Sobrato Companies
Tara VanDerveer, Stanford
Women’s Head Basketball Coach
President & CEO
Barrie R. Hathaway
1200 O’Brien Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025
T/ (650) 330-6429 F/ (650) 330-6401 jobtrainworks.org
City of East Palo Alto – Measure HH Job Training Programs Proposal – Revised November 4, 2022 STEM Fields
Experience & Expertise
JobTrain is a 501©3 nonprofit educational and training institution, committed to help those who are most in need to succeed. Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and approved by the Bureau of Private PostSecondary Education, JobTrain is a place where dreams come true. We create a unique opportunity for low-income youth and adults, both in East Palo Alto, and throughout Silicon Valley, to develop personal and career goals, and to achieve their aspirations by acquiring relevant skills and positive attitudes about themselves and their own unique human potential.
JobTrain has been embedded in the East Palo Alto community for more than 57 years and has a proven track record of empowering those with significant barriers to employment, to get out of poverty and stay out of poverty. Since opening its doors to the community in 1965, JobTrain’s innovative programs and services have impacted the lives of nearly 200,000 low-income individuals throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara County.
Through Career Training, Rapid Employment, Job Skills Development, Essential Life-Skills education, and intensive Supportive Services, JobTrain empowers low-income youth and adults who are too often left out of the economic mainstream, to change the trajectory of their lives, and create their own unique pathway to a sustainable career and full economic mobility. The hallmark of JobTrain’s programs and services are our seven full-time accredited career training programs, which prepare students for a career in high-demand industries including the Building Trades, Healthcare, Culinary Arts, and the Technology Fields.
The Respondent Qualification Service Category for this Grant Proposal is: STEM Fields.
JobTrain’s STEM Fields Career Training Pathways have been serving the residents of East Palo Alto for more than 10 years. Today, this pathway consists of two programs: IT Service & Support and Advanced IT Network Plus. • Brief Description of the IT Service & Support Career Training Program: This foundational course for careers in the technology field prepares graduates for entry level desktop support, help desk, and technical customer service roles. This certificate program introduces students to troubleshooting and customer service, networking, operating systems, system administration, automation, and security - all the fundamentals of IT support. **Full program description and training curriculum are broken down in the Program Design Section below. • Brief Description of the Advanced IT Network Plus Career Training Program: This Advanced IT Class, prepares students for the industry recognized CompTIA Network Plus Certification Examination. **Full program description and training curriculum are broken down in the Program Design Section below.
We understand the critical role that high quality industry specific career training plays in preparing our students to enter and succeed in the highly competitive technology fields. JobTrain goes beyond career training, by empowering our clients to bridge the work-readiness gap, through mentorship, career guidance, job readiness and placement, essential life-skills training, wellness support, and intensive supportive services. Many of our employer partners have told us that when they interview JobTrain’s IT Career Training graduates for a position, they are confident that the individual is well qualified, equipped with the skills they need, and that they will be ready to go to work on day one.
Examples of JobTrain’s Success Delivering STEM Fields Technology Programs.
Every year, JobTrain continues to deliver our STEM Fields Technology Programs to the community, creating an economic mobility model that empowers low-income youth and adults to reclaim their lives from poverty and unemployment, by preparing them for a career in the highly competitive and expanding field of Information Technology. Through the years, we have discovered that the best way to illustrate the effectiveness of JobTrain’s Technology Field Career Training Programs, is through the success of our program graduates.
Please meet Daniel, a 2019 IT Graduate:
Daniel found that he was working in a job that did not challenge him, so he decided to focus and get serious about his future career. He enrolled in JobTrain’s IT Service & Support Training Class, and never looked back. He excelled in his class and was eager to learn all that he could. Daniel also worked with a Career Counselor, learning the importance of presenting yourself to potential employers in the right way, through professional marketing materials including his Resume, and LinkedIn Profile. Daniel also learned how to better articulate his skills and desire to begin a career in IT.
After graduating, and with the encouragement of his JobTrain Counselor, Daniel applied for a job with a cybersecurity company that provides security, networking, and storage products. The interview process was challenging, but with the coaching and support of his Counselor, Daniel was offered the position. Today, Daniel has increased in salary by 25%, and continues to learn, grow, and advance in the industry he loves. Recently Daniel said:
“I wish I could put into words the amount of knowledge you can walk out of this class with, but I can’t. I was blown away by the level of knowledge I gained”.
Please meet Kara, a 2021 IT Graduate:
After moving to the Bay Area to start a new life, Kara new that for her, education was the key that would open the door to the career in IT that she had always dreamt of. After learning about JobTrain’s IT Career Training pathway, she applied, was accepted, and after starting her class, immediately stood out to her instructor, who said “Kara came to JobTrain without much experience in IT. What she did have is some experience in Customer Service, a great attitude, and the drive to succeed”. After successfully completing her training, Kara worked with her Career Developer, who helped her to create a professional Resume, plan an effective Job Search Strategy, and develop a professional LinkedIn profile, while also helping her with job applications and conducting mock interviews.
Kara’s hard work paid off, and today she is working as an IT Support Specialist for a company in Sunnyvale and remains focused on achieving her long-term goal of a career in Cybersecurity with the police department. When asked about her journey, Kara said:
“I decided to come to JobTrain because I admired their statement of believing in the potential of every human being. I felt I belonged at JobTrain when I read that they help people like me who want to transform their lives. It is because of this belief, that I now make conscious decisions every day to act with intention and integrity”.
Please meet Gladys, a recent IT graduate:
Gladys emigrated to the US from Rwanda, and after enrolling in JobTrain’s IT Service & Support Career Training Program, became one of program’s brightest lights. Although Gladys initially felt a little self-conscience about her communication abilities, she embraced her training with optimism, completed all assignments on time, and successfully graduated, all within a year of after arriving as a refugee from Rwanda. Following her training, Gladys worked with her career Developer and secured a position at VMWare as a Deployment Technician. A short time later, Gladys was recruited by Meta (formerly Facebook) via her LinkedIn page, which she had created with the help of her JobTrain Career Developer and is now an Apprentice Systems Technician with the company.
At JobTrain, we believe in the dignity and unique potential of every individual we serve, and that with opportunity and motivation, our students will help themselves. All they need is a chance – JobTrain’s STEM Fields Technology Programs are continuing to provide that chance for low-income youth and adults every single day.
Key Personnel Working on Respondent Qualification Service Category – STEM Fields The key JobTrain personnel assigned to work on the STEM Fields Project are:
Name Position
Jen Overholt Interim Manager of Instruction
Kwanee Price Butler Senior Manager of Career Development Mike Shipstead IT Service & Support Career Training Program Instructor Thomas Gonzales Advanced IT – Network Plus Career Training Program Instructor Dean Maffie Career Development Specialist IT Pathway
NOTE: Attached to this proposal are Resumes for each of the above key JobTrain personnel who have been assigned to work on this project.
Letters of Reference for JobTrain’s STEM Fields Technology Programs Attached to this proposal are Letters of Reference from three of JobTrain’s STEM Fields Technology Employer Partners:
• Box
• Milestone Technologies
• Nexus of IT
Program Design
JobTrain respectfully requests a grant of $102,687, which if awarded, will be used to support the career training and job placement of East Palo Alto residents through JobTrain’s STEM Fields Information Technology Career Training Programs, which include: IT Service & Support and Advanced IT Network Plus. These fully accredited training programs and additional Supportive Services will be provided at no cost to East Palo Alto residents and are designed to empower students with the critical tools and resources they need to succeed in this thriving industry.
Each of these programs combine vocational training, academics, essential skills development, career guidance, jobreadiness and placement, and intensive wraparound supportive services that empower students to reimagine their future and create their own unique, and often alternative pathway to success. Please see below a detailed description of the Career Training Programs that if approved, will be funded through this grant:
IT Service & Support Program:
During the grant period for FY 2023, JobTrain will deliver four 11-Week IT Service & Support Class Cycles. Classes will be taught Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9am – 3pm, by Mike Shipstead. Mike brings over 30 years of experience in the ever-evolving IT industry, as an engineer, product manager, and technical instructor. Along with an interest in product innovation, Mike has a passion for innovative learning and mentoring others toward new skills and job-readiness. He completed undergraduate studies at UC Davis and holds an MBA from The University of Southern California.
Student are guided through the IT Support Professional Certification course, which was developed by Google for use by any companies IT Support. This innovative curriculum is designed to prepare students for an entry level role in IT Support, while also providing a foundation for advanced technical skills training. Through a mixture of video lectures, quizzes, and hands-on labs and widgets, the program will introduce students to all the fundamentals of IT support:
• Troubleshooting and Customer Service.
• Networking.
• Operating Systems.
• System Administration and Security.
Graduates of the IT Service & Support Program will earn the following industry recognized certifications:
• JobTrain Certificate of Achievement
• Google IT Support Professional Certification
Graduates of this program will be ready to start their career in the IT industry as IT Support Technicians, Help Desk Specialists, and IT Desktop Support Technicians. They will also have a great foundation from which to grow their IT knowledge and earn stackable IT credentials including Network, Security, etc.
This class will be delivered to students 100% remotely. In March 2020, after JobTrain suspended in-person classes to prevent the spread of COVI19, the IT team rapidly adapted the curriculum for remote learning. This transition was so successful, that it continues today. Both students and instructors adopted Zoom as part of their new normal in academic life and have proven that is it is possible to create a thriving virtual learning environment. Once JobTrain fully reopens, we envision a hybrid of virtual and in-person classes.
With your support during FY2023:
• 17 East Palo Alto residents will participate in JobTrain’s IT Service & Support Program, gaining the knowledge and skills they need to build a career in the high demand Information Technology Field. • 85% of students will successfully complete the program. • 75% of the graduates will be placed in employment within 3 months, with an average wage of $25.00/ph.
Advanced IT – Network Plus Program:
During the grant period for FY 2023, JobTrain will deliver five Six Week Advanced IT Network Plus Class Cycles. Classes will be taught:
• Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6pm – 9pm
• Saturday from 9am – 1pm
The instructor for this class, Tom Gonzales, brings over 25 years of Network and Cybersecurity Engineering experience to the students he teaches. He has worked for numerous Silicon Valley Tech companies including Hewlett-Packard Corporate Networks, RedBack Networks, Packeteer, and Palo Alto Networks. He has also been involved in Internet and Intranet deployments and technologies since the earliest days of the World Wide Web.
This Advanced IT Class is designed for working graduates of JobTrain’s IT Service & Support Program, to help them grow and advance in their careers, and enables students to gain vital computer networking knowledge to pass the Network+
Certification Exam (version is N10-007) by CompTIA. CompTIA is a well-known and well-respected association that provides vendor-neutral professional certifications in 120 countries around the world. CompTIA certifications are vital for employers to recognize that IT newcomers and more advanced professionals have the critical skills needed for IT jobs and career growth. The CompTIA Network+ Program covers the configuration, management, and troubleshooting of common wired and wireless network devices. Network+ also focuses on specific areas such as:
• Critical security concepts.
• Key cloud computing best practices and typical service models. • Newer hardware and virtualization techniques and,
• Concepts to give individuals the combination of skills to keep networks resilient.
Graduates of this class will receive the following certifications:
• JobTrain Certificate of Achievement
• Students who score 70% or higher for the course will be fully prepared to take the Network Plus Certification Exam and receive a voucher to cover the cost of taking the exam.
Once they have their certification, graduates will be qualified to join the STEM Technology Field as:
• Junior Network Administrators
• Network Field Technicians
• Junior System Engineers
• IS Consultants
• Network Analysts
• Network Field Engineers
• Computer Technicians
• Help Desk Technicians
• Systems Engineers
• Network Support Specialists
This class will be delivered to students 100% remotely. Both students and instructors have adopted Zoom as part of their new normal in academic life and have proven that is it is possible to create a thriving virtual learning environment.
Once JobTrain fully reopens, we envision a hybrid of virtual and in-person classes.
With your support during FY 2023:
• 3 East Palo Alto residents will participate in JobTrain’s Advanced IT Network Plus Program. • 85% of students will successfully complete the program • 75% of the graduates will advance in their careers and/or increase their earnings to an average of $28/ph.
Essential Skills and Job Readiness Trainings are incorporated into the curriculum for each of these programs, ensuring that when students graduate, they are truly workforce ready. Once graduates have completed their Career Training, and are ready to begin their job search, they work one-on-one with their Career Development Specialist and/or IT Alumni Career Coach to create a job search and employment strategy that is tailored to their unique goals.
The IT Career Developer will work IT Graduates to:
• Develop a Job Search Strategy that is both effective and efficient. • Create a professional Resume that truly markets the clients’ skills.
• Build a professional network.
• Leverage their digital profile to maintain high visibility and a professional presence. • Submit well researched and quality job applications.
• Succeed in their interviews through extensive preparation including, Zoom interview tips and etiquette, professional communication, and follow up with employers.
The IT Alumni Career Coach will work with IT Graduates who have been placed in employment to:
• Build graduates confidence and knowledge of the IT job market through hands-on projects to build industry knowledge.
• Empower graduates to build on their existing job-readiness skills helping them to demonstrate their value to employers with a strong business attitude, effective communication, agility, and work habits. • Focus on helping clients to achieve full economic mobility through long-term career planning and growth through life-long learning.
• Mentor working IT graduates and provide ongoing coaching and support to help them advance in their career. • Connect graduates with opportunities for advanced IT trainings.
The IT team at JobTrain are always looking for new ways to help our IT graduates to move forward and advance in their career. Today, they are exploring some potential new Advanced IT options for STEM Fields Technology programs, which will focus on building graduate confidence with hands-on skills and knowledge of the industry. One of the potential options being explored is the CompTIA A+ Certification. The Alumni Coach is also reaching out to local employers to explore potential opportunities to create internships for JobTrain’s IT graduates.
Engaging with Job Generators & Connecting East Palo Alto Residents with Employment JobTrain recognizes that its long-term mission is to empower our clients with the tools and resources they need to achieve full economic mobility, defined as achieving sufficient income and benefits to thrive economically in the place where they live. JobTrain is committed to trailblazing this uncharted territory by working collaboratively to develop an ecosystem of best practices, programs, and partners to help our clients to achieve this critical measure of success.
To ensure that the East Palo Alto residents served through our STEM Fields Technology Programs during FY2023 have the best opportunity to succeed in their chosen career, JobTrain has strong partnerships with local employers, and a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), made up of local industry experts, who provide advice and connections to employment. The TAC along with our strong employer partnerships, ensure access to quality job placements for our career training graduates.
Today, JobTrain continues to expand our existing workforce development programs and innovate in service of increasing the economic mobility of the people we serve. We are doing this by:
1) Building on our employer relationships, by developing deep, highly collaborative relationships with more quality employers, to ensure that the East Palo Alto residents we serve, are placed in jobs that get them on a pathway to full economic mobility, in part, by working for great companies that value their employees, and encourage growth and progression.
2) Creating a Community Partner Eco-system that will empower the people we serve to achieve full economic mobility, by building on our existing partnerships and developing new strategic partnerships and the implementation of an eco-system approach that ensures close communication and shared outcomes based on collective action.
Our employer partners play an essential role in the economic mobility of our community. JobTrain recently hired an Employer Engagement Liaison who is in the process of implementing new employer engagement practices to attract and engage the best employers in the region in service of our Career Training graduate’s long term economic success.
This individual will be focusing on new projects and initiatives including:
• Forming deeper and broader relationships with large and regional employers resulting in long-term and productive pipelines for our candidates to quality careers. • Launching a new Employer Advisory Committee, the first for our East Palo Alto and Menlo Park Career Centers, to bring employer and industry entities such as unions together to share learning and strategies to reach our mutual goals.
• Partnering with commercial real-estate property managers to access a large number and variety of their tenant companies. We are currently in conversation with two potential partners to address both a specific industry segment, and a diversified group, both within close range of two local JobTrain Career Centers and training programs.
• Partnering with large employers and government agencies to explore ways to tailor and supplement our vocational training and job-readiness and wraparound supportive services, to widen the on-ramp to quality jobs for our clients.
• Promoting JobTrain’s “value-add” to employers by offering research, studies, data, and tools to address pain points in hiring and retention, as well as their DEIB objectives.
Achieving Measure HH Living Wage Requirement for East Palo Alto Residents This Bay Area community where we live is one of the most desirable areas in the country. It is a place of extreme prosperity, due in part to the Silicon Valley and its momentous contributions to the world. However, within this prosperity, many of our residents have been left behind, and the COVID19 pandemic only exacerbated the economic disparities in the region, particularly for the low-income residents of East Palo Alto.
We know now, more than ever, that the work JobTrain does is critically important for the full economic recovery of the region and ensuring that EVERYONE is included in that recovery. JobTrain’s STEM Fields Information Technology Programs will prepare East Palo Alto residents for a career in a high demand and fast-growing industry and offer graduates a career trajectory that leads them to a living wage of $28/ph, within three years of graduating from their Career Training Program.
Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a dynamic, and rapidly growing field. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 12% growth rate between 2018 and 2028, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. And according to an industry research report from CompTIA, the global information technology market is expected to reach $5 Trillion this year. The biggest sector of the tech industry continues to be IT and business services, and that growth means new IT jobs.
JobTrain’s IT program instructors continue to build on their strong relationships with local employers, which often provide graduates with direct links to employment, at an average starting wage of between $25.00 - $28.00/ph. With the ongoing support and guidance of their Career Developer and IT Alumni Career Coach, clients can continue to build on the stackable credentials they earned at JobTrain, and access advanced trainings that will enable them to achieve the Measure HH Living Wage Requirement of $28.00/ph within three years of graduating from JobTrain.
Additional Wraparound Supportive Services
.
We know that in addition to Career Training and Job Placement, our clients need significant additional services and emergency supports to achieve their goals. The key ingredient we use at JobTrain to address the challenges facing our clients is our “Whole Person” approach to services. From day one, staff work with clients to create the best possible Training and Employment Plan to meet their unique needs by:
• Meeting clients where they are and building trust through intensive case management. • Providing services that increase each client’s ability to move forward towards financial independence. • Engaging with JobTrain’s partners to increase capacity to provide supports to clients facing significant barriers.
Throughout their journey clients have access to JobTrain’s Skills Upgrade and intensive Supportive Services, to help them remain stable and focused on their career and educational goals. During the in-depth intake process, staff work with clients to identify barriers to employment, as well as specific needs. These clients are then referred to the Skills Upgrade and Supportive Services teams, where they will receive immediate support, either directly through one of our in-house programs, or through a referral to one of JobTrain’s partners.
Skills Upgrade Services Include:
• HSE/GED Prep, Computer Literacy Skills, Job Readiness Services, In-Jail Programs, ESL Classes, Digital Literacy Classes, ASE-Five Keys, and Youth Paid Work Experience.
Intensive Supportive Services Include:
• Helping clients to enroll in public benefits such as CalFresh and Healthcare. • Connecting clients to food, housing, legal, financial, and family support providers. • Providing resources for transportation vouchers, career clothing, study supplies, childcare assistance, referrals to additional resources, and access to emergency financial support through JobTrain’s Crisis Relief fund. • Access to Wellness Center: In collaboration with Stanford University, JobTrain has onsite Wellness Center to provide mental health assessment, referrals and resources to clients dealing with stress, emotional, or mental health issues.
• In addition, JobTrain has an onsite Child Development Center, which provides Early Childhood Education (at no or minimal costs) to 3–5-year-olds. Available to both JobTrain students and the broader East Palo Alto community.
Leveraging Outside Resources
The obstacles to economic mobility faced by the people we serve are multi-faceted and complex. JobTrain works with numerous partners who bring specific expertise that leverage and enhance the programs and services that JobTrain already provides. Some, like Five Keys Schools and Programs, and the Stanford School of Medicine, are housed at JobTrain, providing academic, wellness, and mental health services directly to clients on-site.
We are also focusing on the development of new strategic partnerships and building a stronger service provider ecosystem. Today, in order to leverage precious resources, JobTrain collaborates with a vast network of nonprofit, government, and corporate organizations to better serve our clients:
• To help students meet their basic needs, we have reciprocal relations with Second Harvest Food Bank, Ecumenical Hunger Program, Farmers Market (Discount Food Program), Daybreak Shelter, Samaritan House, HIP Housing, Life Moves, Peninsula Family Services, Star Vista, and Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto.
• To help provide college pathways for our students, we collaborate with Rivet School, to provide our students and graduates with the opportunity to obtain an online college degree, increasing their upward mobility.
We also partner & Collaborate with the following:
• One East Palo Alto, KARA, Nuestra Casa, San Mateo County Human Services Agency, Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, Belle Haven School (Parent Groups), Onetta Harris Community Center (Youth), VA Menlo Park, Child Support Services San Mateo County, San Mateo Co. Probation Department, San Mateo Co. Behavioral Health, Department of Rehabilitation, Foster Youth Programs, Live in Peace/SWAG, JobCorps, Able Works, and Tech4Success.
In addition, JobTrain partners with Legal Aide San Mateo County (LIBRE Project) and CLSEPA, to provide resources and support to immigrant populations. CLSEPA provides an array of legal services, including immigration services and DACA assistance. To help clients in the expungement process, JobTrain and CLSEPA host live Scan events, where clients can get a copy of their criminal records at no cost. CLSEPA follow up to correct errors in clients’ records, and to help with the expungement process.
Targeting & Recruiting East Palo Alto Residents
JobTrain has been embedded in the East Palo Alto community since 1965, with our headquarters in east Menlo Park, located on the border of East Palo Alto, making our offices easily accessible to East Palo Alto residents. Last year, JobTrain’s target community for this grant, East Palo Alto, was home to more than 25% of our clients, and almost 30% of the JobTrain staff that served them.
When East Palo Alto residents come to JobTrain, they will be welcomed into an environment where the dignity and worth of every individual is respected – a place where our staff truly reflects the diversity of the communities that they serve, fostering a safe and welcoming space for our clients. Many of our clients have long been excluded from the economic mainstream and face significant barriers to employment. Last year, 94% of the people served by JobTrain were low-income, 13% did not finish high school, 7% were homeless, and 21% were previously incarcerated.
To ensure that JobTrain connects directly to the East Palo Alto residents who would benefit from these programs and services, JobTrain will conduct extensive outreach to target this group. This is a top priority for JobTrain right now, especially as the Omicron variant prolonged the impact of pandemic related challenges, including access to childcare and COVID safety. We recently hired a new Outreach and Recruitment Manager, and a “Task Force” has been created to focus on new and more creative ways to connect directly with our target audience in the city.
Current Strategies Include:
• Targeted bi-lingual marketing.
• Increased targeted individual outreach.
• Social Media Marketing
• Leveraging connections through JobTrain’s Career Training Alumni Network.
As COVID19 restrictions ease, outreach staff are now resuming their targeted in-person outreach, including community presentations targeting partner nonprofits and community organizations in East Palo Alto. Staff will also continue to build on their connections with local high schools, alternative high schools, and the Juvenile Justice System. We are also launching an East Palo Alto Street Outreach Team, who will go into the community, build connections with residents, and share information with them about JobTrain’s STEM Fields Technology Programs.
Delivering Strategically Inclusive Programs & Services
JobTrain has an incredibly diverse staff that truly reflects the East Palo Alto community that we serve, and who are uniquely qualified to provide input as to the specific needs of the target population for this grant. Today, 17% of JobTrain staff are former clients, and more than 30% live, work, and are actively involved in the same East Palo Alto community that they serve every day. Many are bilingual, including Spanish, Tongan, Tagalog, and Mandarin. Born and raised in local underserved communities, they chose to stay, and joined JobTrain because of their desire to be a part of positive change in their community.
• All of JobTrain’s marketing, outreach, and informational materials are printed in both English and Spanish. • We offer day and evening ESL classes (beginners and intermediate), delivered in both English and Spanish. • We also provide Computer Literacy Programming in both English and Spanish.
As an organization, JobTrain continues to build on the strength of our talented and diverse, staff, board, and students.
We believe that an organization is only as good as its culture, and that building that culture is everyone’s responsibility, which is why in 2021, JobTrain embarked on an intensive and ongoing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiative. We believe that this forward-thinking initiative will ensure that JobTrain remains a supportive and engaging environment, for both staff and clients, by providing valuable opportunities for both growth and inclusion.
Program Evaluation & Measuring Success
JobTrain is data driven and focused on the integrity of the data that we collect so that we can use it to drive continuous growth and progress. Staff track data and client progress in real time through our Salesforce Database. This data is used to create dashboards, to monitor, evaluate, and accurately report performance with at-a-glance snapshots of key metrics that chart progress and suggest what works and what doesn’t, allowing staff to make informed decisions relating to future program activities.
JobTrain’s strong culture of data collection and measurement enables us to successfully manage complex government contracts, corporate and foundation grants, which require the collection of specific data and regular reporting.
JobTrain’s Custom Metrics Include:
• Enrollments
• Classes and Workshops Taken
• Graduation Rates
• Job Placement Rates
• Wages of Graduates Placed in Employment
• Job Retention Rates
JobTrain evaluates success and impact based on client outcomes, maintaining files on needs, services provide, and progress of clients. After graduates have been placed in employment, staff check in with them for up to a year, to follow up, track career advancement and job retention, and provide additional services and ongoing supports if needed.
This rigorous commitment to successful outcomes requires intensive data collection and analysis to determine client progress, and program performance. We believe that the results speak for themselves. Organization Wide During FY21:
• 87% of Career Training Students successfully completed their program. • 72% have been placed in employment, despite the challenges of the global pandemic. • 77% of clients placed in employment a year ago remain employed and many have been promoted.
• 1,689 individual supportive services were delivered to clients.
Grant Timeline
JobTrain’s Career Training Programs and services are ongoing and delivered to our clients throughout the year. The timeline for this grant, if approved, will be FY2023 (7/1/22-6/30/23):
• The IT Service & Support Career Training Program will deliver a total of Four 12-Week Training Sessions during the grant period.
• The Advanced IT Network Plus Career Training Program will deliver a total of Five 6-Week Training Sessions during the grant period.
STEM Fields Information Technology Program Delivery Location & Availability During the grant period for FY2023, JobTrain’s IT Service & Support and Advanced IT Network Plus Programs will be delivered by instructors 100% virtually, using remote online channels. In March 2020, after JobTrain suspended inperson classes to prevent the spread of COVI19, the IT team rapidly adapted the curriculum for remote learning. This transition was so successful, that it continues today. Both students and instructors adopted Zoom as part of their new normal in academic life and have proven that is it is possible to create a thriving virtual learning environment. Once JobTrain fully reopens, we envision a hybrid of virtual and in-person classes.
JobTrain’s 31,000 square foot specialized training facility, located at 1200 O’Brien Drive on the border of east Menlo Park and East Palo Alto, delivers JobTrain’s programs and services to low-income and underserved communities throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara County, with a special focus on the East Palo Alto, east Menlo Park, and North Fair Oaks communities. JobTrain also has Career Centers centrally located in East Palo Alto, South San Francisco, and San Jose, where clients can access one-on-one employment assistance and job-readiness services.
As we focus on the future, JobTrain is looking forward to breaking ground on our new 50,000 square foot Center for Economic Mobility, which will be located at 2535 Pulgas Avenue in East Palo Alto. When it opens, the new CEM, will replace JobTrain’s current facility in east Menlo Park, with a state-of-the art expanded facility, providing all of our current programs and services, as well as innovative new programs and services designed to help our clients achieve full economic mobility.
Statement Regarding Measure HH
JobTrain formerly declares that to the best of our knowledge and understanding, the STEM Fields Technology Programs being proposed in this grant request, IT Service & Support and Advanced IT Network Plus, meet the intent of Measure HH. We also understand that the direction of Measure HH funding to provide job training opportunities for EPA residents is a new endeavor for the City, and that as such, it is imperative that all aspects of the RFP process be scrutinized to ensure compliance with Measure HH.
We understand that prior to forwarding any recommendations to the City Council, staff will make an initial determination regarding whether the programs proposed by JobTrain are eligible for Measure HH funding and that the City Council has ultimate authority to determine which programs are deemed eligible for Measure HH funding.
Cost Structure for JobTrain’s STEM Fields Service Category
Attached to this proposal is a detailed Cost Structure for JobTrain’s STEM Fields Technology Career Training Programs:
IT Service & Support and Advanced IT Network Plus Programs. Included in the Cost Structure are a detailed schedule of estimated costs, on a per participant basis.
Attachments:
• Key STEM Fields Project Personnel Resumes
• Three STEM Fields Technology Employer Partner References Cost Structure: STEM - IT Service & Support & Advanced IT Network Plus Programs IT Service &
Support
Advanced IT
Network Plus
CITY INVESTMENT REQUEST
Outreach & Intake: Recruitment, Eligibility Determination, Registration, Initial Assessment & Orientations Outreach & Recruitment Specialist 142 158
Eligible Specialist 134 149
Intake & Registration Specialist 105 116
Assessment Specialist 163 181
Assessment Test Fees & Supplies 60 60
603 664
Vocational Education: Skills Development in Occupational Fields Instructor 1,190 642
Director of Instruction & Career Development 179 199
Classroom Materials & Supplies 188 278
Books & kits 60 60
1,617 1,179
Individualized Career Services: Development of Individual Employment Plan, Career Counseling & Job Placement Career Development Manager 175 195
Job Developer & Counselor 284 316
459 510
Supportive Services & Job Readiness Training: Resources, Referrals & Employability Skills Training Job Developer & Counselor 284 316
Benefits & Resources Coordinator 139 155
Essential Skill Prog Support 156 173
Supportive Services - Transportation 100 100
Supportive Services - Technology Access 100 100
Supportive Services - Tool kit 0 0
Supportive Services - Uniform 0 0
Supportive Services - Union Dues 0 0
Supportive Services - Certification tests/fingerprinting/CPR 400 100 1,179 944
Program Monitoring and Evaluation: Reporting & Program Outcome Database & MIS Coordinator 178 165
Chief Operating Officer 371 344
Program Assistant 148 137
698 646
Program Subtotal Cost 4,557 3,943
Admin. Overhead @15% (Taxes, insurance, IT, legal, utility, facilities, maintenance, rental, audit, accounting) 684 591 CITY INVESTMENT REQUEST COST PER CLIENT $ 5,240 $ 4,534 Proposed Number of Participants 17 3 20
TOTAL CITY INVESTMENT (Cost per client x Clients served) $ 89,084 $ 13,603 $ 102,687
COST PER CLIENT
TOTAL
Achieving City of East Palo Alto Measure HH Living Wage Requirement Every single day, JobTrain empowers the students in our Career Training Programs to create their own unique, and often alternative pathway to full economic mobility. JobTrain goes beyond career training, by empowering our students to bridge the work readiness gap, through mentorship, career guidance, job readiness and placement, essential life-skills training, wellness support, and intensive supportive services.
When JobTrain graduates are placed in employment, they are ready to go to work on day one. We prepare our students for a career in high demand and fast-growing industries, offering graduates a career trajectory that will lead them to a living wage of $28.00/PH within three years of graduating from their training program.
Below are just a few examples of the very real career growth and advancement that we have witnessed in JobTrain’s Building Trades and STEM IT Technology Program Graduates:
Building Trades Career Training Programs
Student Name Graduation Date Starting Salary at First Job Placement Salary Today Cesar 2020 $31.59/PH $38.40/PH
Carlos 2020 $31.00/PH $33.00/PH
Greg 2021 $20.00/PH $34.26/PH (Union Job)
Jackson 2021 $20.00/PH $35.00/PH (Union Job)
Adriana 2021 $25.00/PH $34.26/PH (Union Job)
Damon 2021 $19.00/PH $26.00/PH
Sergio 2021 $49.00/PH $52.00/PH
Ivan 2022 $18.00/PH $34.26/PH (Union Job)
Jose L. 2022 $22.00/PH $34.26/PH (Union Job)
STEM IT Career Training Programs:
Student Name Graduation Date Starting Salary at First Job Placement Salary Today Ashley 2020 $19.00/PH $30.00/PH
Gladys 2020 $25.00/PH $36.50/PH
Dayana 2021 $21.00/PH $40.00/PH
Josephine 2021 $21.00/PH $34.36/PH
Glafira 2021 $21.00/PH $34.50/PH
Diana 2022 $23.50/PH $28.27/PH
JobTrain’s long term mission is to empower our clients with the tools and resources they need to achieve full economic mobility, defined as achieving sufficient income and benefits to thrive economically in the place where they live. We are committed to trailblazing this uncharted territory by working collaboratively to develop an ecosystem of best practices, programs, and partners to help our clients achieve this critical measure of success.
To ensure that the East Palo Alto residents served through JobTrain’s STEM IT Technology and Building Trades Programs during FY2023 have the best opportunity to succeed in their chosen career, JobTrain has strong partnerships with local unions and employers, and a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), made up of local industry experts, who provide advice and connections to employment. The TAC along with our strong union and employer partnerships, ensure access to quality job placements and the opportunity for ongoing career growth and advancement for our graduates.
Tracking and Supporting Graduates
Investing in Our Clients and Their Long-Term Success
JobTrain’s commitment to our clients success begins the moment they walk through our door, and it has no end date.
When East Palo Alto residents come to JobTrain, they will be welcomed into an environment where the dignity and worth of every individual is respected – a place where our staff truly reflects the diversity of the communities that they serve, fostering a safe and welcoming space for our clients. From day one, JobTrain staff work with clients to create the best possible Training and Employment Plan to meet their unique needs by:
• Meeting clients where they are and building trust through intensive case management. • Providing services that increase each client’s ability to move forward towards financial independence. • Engaging with partners to increase capacity to provide supports to clients facing significant barriers.
Throughout their journey, clients will have access to JobTrain’s Skills Upgrade and Intensive Supportive Services, to help them remain stable and focused on their career training goals.
Tracking and Supporting Program Graduates
JobTrain is a place where talent meets opportunity. This means that JobTrain’s commitment to our clients does not end when they graduate from our programs and are placed in employment. Career Developers follow up with their clients at a minimum quarterly, for at least a year, and for as long as the client remains engaged and support is needed. During their follow up, Career Developers ensure that their client:
• Is thriving in their employment and happy with their progress • Remains focused on their long-term career plan, by connecting them with opportunities for advanced learning. • Has the supportive services they need in place so they can remain stable and focused on their career goals.
If challenges and obstacles are identified, the Career Developer will work with the client to provide support and offer appropriate solutions. During these check-ins, staff also track:
• Wage increases
• Career Advancements
• Employer Training Opportunities
• Retention Rates
Ongoing Career Advancement Support
Building on the foundation of JobTrain’s “Whole Person” Workforce Development Model, JobTrain has also created a Career Advancement Program (CAP). Our goal is to create a CAP for each of JobTrain’s career training pathways, but today, it is focused on Healthcare and IT.
The East Palo Alto residents who graduate from one of JobTrain’s STEM IT Career Training Programs, can choose to enroll in the IT CAP Program and work with a dedicated Alumni Career Coach to create a plan that will advance their career and help them achieve full economic mobility.
• Today, 35 graduates are enrolled in CAP’s IT Program. In recent months, many graduates of JobTrain’s IT Service & Support Program have worked with their CAP coach to move into advanced trainings, gain stackable credentials, and advance in their careers.
o 8 individuals enrolled in JobTrain’s Advanced IT Network Plus Career Training Program, while 7 others enrolled in free advanced certification courses through JobTrain’s partnership with IBM and their Skills Build digital learning platform. Courses taken by graduates included: IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Certification and Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.
JobTrain will continue to focus on our “Whole Person” approach, being there and supporting our clients throughout their journey, and after they graduate and start building their career, because this is the key to their success. There is no better way to illustrate this, than through words of a JobTrain Graduate. “During my time at JobTrain I gained the knowledge that I am stronger than what I know. Smarter than what I think.
And bolder than what I see. I have a new confidence that cannot be shaken, and a firm foundation to keep learning and growing in life”.
Everyone deserves an opportunity to build a better future, and JobTrain will continue to do whatever it takes to make this possible for our clients.