Attachment 7
Live In Peace (STEM/Trades) Proposal
MEASURE HH JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS NARRATIVE
Total Program Budget: $739,792
Request: $300,030
Summary
Live In Peace is requesting a total of $300,030 in funding for the GAP Trades program, to be serving 20 participants. $138,250 is for program costs and the additional $161,780 will be to fund the removal of barriers from up to 20 participants based on the proposed levels of needs. Because we don't know exactly who will be on our list, we could use the same amount of money for more students on lower levels.
Our GAP program was created to serve students who aren’t prepared for the next steps after high school, might not feel ready to succeed in a college setting, and/or are exploring trade schools and other alternatives to the traditional college route. This 2-year program allows students to experience exploratory and educational activities designed to help discover their best path forward. Many GAP students have found success in various trade opportunities which has allowed us to create a pipeline for their needs as well as cement a process for future students and young adults to succeed in the trades as well.
Our GAP Trades program is allowing young adults to access and fill the ever-growing need for skilled trade workers. This program creates entryways, education, and apprenticeships in the fields of mechanical construction, electrical, and bike mechanics and repairs. We have created partnerships that allow our students the entryways to these respective fields and are looking forward to providing these opportunities and partnership to our broader community.
Background
According to the Pell Institute, 47% of first generation, low income college students drop out of college within 6 years of enrollment, resulting in 11% graduation for low income students. Lack of support and vision, low placement tests, financial struggles, and stigma around trades are at the core of the problem. Additionally, vocational certificate holders have a median income of $61,600 vs. $24,000 for those with only a high school diploma. (Pell, 2014).
Additionally, in 2020, it was reported that 31 million skilled-trade jobs will be left vacant by retiring baby Boomers and according to a recent survey by the Associated General Contractors of America, the percentage of firms predicting a shortfall of qualified skilled trade workers is 74%. While the need is seemingly greater in our current times, the need for skilled trade workers will never cease. Other jobs change and can even become obsolete, but the skilled trades never will. There will always be a need for electricians, mechanical construction and other trades, and this is only expected to increase as 10,000 baby boomers are reaching retirement age each day, leaving behind jobs that need to be filled.
The GAP Trades Program was created to answer this call and is poised to serve the City of East Palo Alto in providing the access and entryways to education, apprenticeships, and careers in the fields of electrical and mechanical construction trades. We have created and cultivated partnerships that allow our participants the onramps and pathways to these respective fields.
Experience and Expertise
Our success and effectiveness is a testament to the staff and leadership of our organization. All staff were either born and raised in East Palo Alto or have been long-time residents of the city. We love our community deeply and have long-standing relationships with generations of youth and families. Our role as community members and extended family gives our team unique insights into the needs of young people, access to their families, and the ability to create effective, trusted programs.
Most of our staff have been trained as life coaches and are skilled in working with young people to help them map out their goals, identify barriers, and create plans and steps for success. Additionally, we have been involved in advocacy and policy work within the systems that impact our youth, from the school district to the county level.
As powerful as our relational model is for attracting and developing young people, without change on the systemic level, our students will continue to be failed by those tasked with supporting them.
Accordingly, our Executive Director, Heather Starnes-Logwood, is receiving her Doctorate in Education in order to have a greater, more direct impact on the school system itself.
We are a team of EPA community leaders, with over 150 years of collective youth development expertise, who function as extended family members to our students and to each other. We operate in the same spirit of the village that birthed East Palo Alto. Any success in our program areas is owed most significantly to this family spirit that shapes our work.
Our homes and our program spaces are second homes to our students. With rapid gentrification displacing community members, our homes sometimes also become primary residences for students in transition. Simply put, we are a family who loves this city and will do whatever we can to support the preservation and advancement of its people and cultures.
Our model, as you can see below, is similarly simple:
Hire local, community leaders (the context for the model) Build supportive relationships with youth, fostering a sense of belonging (the family) Develop skills and create opportunities for success (our programs) Graduate self-sufficient, highly educated, socially conscious young leaders (the result) Program Design
Our program has a four-step process for ensuring success and moving individuals through the pipeline to living-wage jobs. This process starts 2-3 times a year to ensure our students are moving forward together and allows our partner companies to create and provide adequate onboarding. We do allow for individuals to access this program outside of these cohort starts where needed, on a case-by-case basis. For the purpose of the overall program design, below we will refer to the 2-3 times a year starts.
I. REFERRAL/RECRUITING PROCESS
Our programs are relational by nature. Students who go through our programs will have access but individuals in the community can also be referred to our programs. We rely on the deep connections within the community to provide our services and programs where needed.
Process:
1. Individuals can be referred via word of mouth, a form to be created on our site, or through partner organizations and the City. The relational nature of our work means that we rarely need to recruit for our programs, but we will ensure that our community has access to the relationships within Live In Peace to access these training opportunities.
2. Live In Peace has a pipeline of students already in our programs that are eligible to work in a number of trades. Through our high school SWAG program, we work with 80 students who are the least likely to graduate high school. Upon graduating high school they are very unlikely to go to college and many find success in moving into the trades and trade training programs.
3. Live In Peace has a core belief that some get it now, some get it later, and some never get it. Which aligns with our mission of empowering our students to reclaim a vision for their future. For a good number of our students, they “get it now.” This often looks like a more traditional, straight path through education to careers. For the “get it laters”, we continue to be the place where they return, regardless of the reason (trauma, family, prison, etc.). Working with these individuals to obtain living wage jobs upon re-entry and find that trades will be a great fit.
II. INTAKE/INTERVIEWS
Our intake process allows our Live In Peace staff to meet and interview individuals to ensure they are the right fit for our program as well as provide the interviewing on behalf of our partners. This component maintains the relationships we have with our partners to provide the training and access to entry level, living wage jobs.
Process: Two to three times a year we will have interviews to get to know the individual and evaluate their skill level, interest, commitment, potential barriers to employment, and more to best advise them and provide support as they start their training. Interviews are done by Live In Peace staff members, as well as community members and a potential for City Employees to aid in the interview process.
III. COURSES/TRAINING PROGRAMS
Live In Peace has partnerships with Eden Area Regional Occupation Program, Western Allied Mechanical, Year Up, and Junior College Trade programs to provide both paid and unpaid training opportunities for individuals looking to enter the electrician and mechanical construction trades, respectively. To note, for those unpaid training opportunities, we provide stipends to supplement their income as well as ongoing life coaching and mentorship. These partnerships provide all the training necessary for students to “graduate” from these programs and start their careers. Many of these programs have students starting at $35/hour or more.
Process: Once the individuals have been vetted, we work with the respective training programs to get students enrolled and set up to be successful. This could include providing the necessary equipment, access to transportation or child care making this opportunity possible, as well as connecting them to the contacts at the respective partner training sites. So while Live In Peace isn’t providing the training ourselves, we have cultivated the opportunities that allow access to training.
IV. PIPELINE TO JOBS
Our partnerships with local companies provides training but also provides job openings for individuals who successfully complete the training programs. These provide entry-level jobs in the trade, starting at $35/hour (often higher) and provide stable work and the start of potentially life-long careers.
Process: Live In Peace continues to build and nurture relationships with local companies ensuring our students have access and often first access to job openings.
Our newest partnership is with Helix, a local company working on a new apartment complex in East Palo Alto. They are committed to hiring our students and working with those in the electrician fields who need supervised work to obtain their hours.
Program Design - Partner Details
Western Allied Mechanical
Program Length of time: 3 months
Program Costs: $5,000
We recently partnered with Western Allied Mechanical as they launched their pilot Heavy Metal Summer Experience (HMSE). This summer program introduces students to union job opportunities in mechanical construction (HVAC and Plumbing). Through training sessions led by construction professionals, students learn the basics of sheet metal, piping, and plumbing construction, and see what it takes to build a great career in the trades. They get hands-on, real world experience, the tools and equipment provided for them, and will receive a stipend for their work. Additionally, students who are over 18 have the opportunity to be hired on as apprentices following this experience, allowing them paid apprenticeship opportunities, leading into a full-time career.
Eden Area ROP
Program Length of time: Based on Program
Electrician: 6 months, extra classes an additional 4 months Welding: 4 months
Program Costs: Electrician, $6,000; Welding, $5,000
One of our long-standing partnerships is with Eden Area Regional Occupation Program (ROP), providing hands-on, industry specific skills that prepare students for entering the electrical field and builds a pipeline of workforce talent in skilled trades. Upon graduating, students are ready for jobs to attain their supervised hours needed to become a licensed electrician. We’ve been able to provide paid apprenticeships for our students to obtain their hours, with qualified supervisors, get real-time experience, and are able to make a living wage in their community while supporting the building of affordable housing in the community, building accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Additionally, we have built a partnership with Helix, a local company working on a new apartment complex in East Palo Alto, that’s committed to hiring our students as paid apprentices, furthering opening opportunities for additional students to find meaningful, successful careers.
Year Up
Program Length of time: 11 months
Program Costs: $6,000
Another long-standing partnership beneficial to this program is YearUp. For Live In Peace high school graduates who are wanting a less traditional college/career path, they receive YearUp’s training and professional development, resulting in successful placement in full-time jobs. We have been very successful with this program, as we create a cohort of encouragement and accountability and additional funding making them able to complete this program. Additionally, we have several graduate students making over 85k that continue to make a pipeline access into other local tech companies.
STEM job opportunities from YearUp include:
● helpdesk/desktop IT support
● client services and sales IT support
● project management IT support
● data analytics
● application development and IT support
● computer network support
Junior College Trades
Program Length of time: 2-5 years dependent on program
Program Costs: $2,500
Our newest partnership with access to the trades is our Junior College Trades program, which is a part of our GAP Junior College Cohort. Foothill College has a trades program that steers students to the trade unions while providing avenues for them to get their AA Degree in their respective fields.
Through our GAP program, students take an assessment to both discover what their interests and skills are as well as what options are available to them. They have support in signing up for college, choosing the right path and classes, connecting with counselors and financial aid, and academic and social-emotional support throughout the program. Foothill provides our GAP life coach with access to classroom space on campus, workshops for various necessary topics (i.e. FAFSA), and works with our life coach to accommodate needs for students’ success.
Trade job opportunities from Junior College Trades include degrees and certificates in the following:
● air conditioning and refrigeration technology
● general electrician, commercial and residential
● plumbing technology, commercial and residential
● sheet metal building trade
● steamfitting and pipefitting technology
Throughout these opportunities, we have created complete pipelines ensuring success for our students. We prepare them for their class or courses, do the vetting and interviewing on behalf of our partners, fund their classes, provide all means of support throughout the class, celebrate their graduation, and connect them with pre-apprentice and apprentice opportunities.
Career Partners: Currently our three major partners are with McCarthy Construction https://www.mccarthy.com/, Western Allied https://www.westernallied.com/, Helix Electric https://www.helixelectric.com/ and Multiple Unions. We continue to build partnerships with new companies all the time.
Cost Structure
Live In Peace is requesting a total of $300,030 in funding for the GAP Trades program, to be serving 20 participants. $138,250 is for program costs and the additional $161,780 will be to fund the removal of barriers from up to 20 participants based on the proposed levels of needs. Because we don't know exactly who will be on our list, we could use the same amount of money for more students on lower levels.
The GAP program is partially funded by a private foundation and a grant with the county. In partnership with the Gardner Center, they will be providing an assessment at the end of the first year of this program, providing us with the opportunity to see what has been successful, what can be more efficient, and the overall success of the program. This assessment of a fully funded program will also ensure we know the best use of funds, and what funding will be necessary moving forward.
This additional funding will allow us to grow, scale, and stabilize our current programs. Also it will allow us to expand our services to the community, and those with maximum barriers; perfect and hone the program as needed, and adapt as learning and assessment is provided. We acknowledge that there are students who will have more barriers than others, raising the cost per student.
Likewise, our proposed budget is designed with funding for the highest need with multiple barriers (i.e. daycare, supplies, scholarships, tutoring, transportation, etc.) and will also support those with less barriers (i.e. only needing scholarships).
Our programs are relational and fluid enough that if a student drops out or needs to take a break, we have a mechanism to bring them back in. Relationally, we walk beside them through whatever it is they might be going through, pause the stipends and money supporting their training, and have a process for getting them back on track and reassess their financial support. This is true of all of our programs and emphasizes our belief and our support for those that “get it later.” Budget HH
Per
student Notes
Personnel Expenses
Co-Director $190,000 $95,000
The key to our work is the way our staff interacts with our program participants and it is fundamentally why we are so successful with what we do. This person would be expected to case manage every student, to have
relationships in the field, experience with the trades, and more. We place a high value on living wage jobs for our staff as well, assuming they meet the standards and
qualifications for this role, this is the high end of that salary.
Benefits $28,500 $12,750
Program
MFT .5 fte $45,000 $22,500
Financial Coach $20,000
Retreat $10,000 $5,000
Food $6,000
Supplies $6,000 $3,000
Reduction of Barriers
Base Program Cost $4,864 Average cost, programs range from ($2,500 - $8,000) Level 1 $1,200 Tutors, classes, etc.
Level 2 $2,500 Computers, tools, etc. based on need
Level 3 $9,000
Daycare average $1500/month (6 months) working on
possible partnerships to decrease this cost
Scholarships
Level 1 (=Base Cost +
1) $133,408 $66,704 $6,064 *HH budget 11 students
Level 2 (=Base Cost +
1 + 2) $119,896 $59,948 $8,564 *HH budget 7 students
Level 3 (=Base Cost +
1 + 2 + 3) $70,256 $35,128 $17,564 *HH budget 2 students Subtotal $323,560 $161,780 Total 20 Students
Overhead $122,860
Total $751,920 $300,030 $49,756
19 students based on level of need. Because we don't know exactly who will be on our list, we could use the same amount of money for more students on lower levels.
Our proposed budget is designed with funding to address need and those with multiple barriers while still supporting those with minimal barriers. We propose a ranking system designed to provide fair support based on needs and support level. The chart below is an example of that structure which would be used after the initial intake process with program participants. average
Eden ROP:
Electrician Program
Eden ROP:
Welding Year UP
Heavy Metal -
Western Allied
Junior College
Trade
Base Program Cost $6,000 $5,000 $6,000 $5,000 $2,500 $4,900 Level 1 - Minimal Barriers $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 Level 2 - Average/Medium Barriers $3,700 $3,700 $3,700 $3,700 $3,700 Level 3 - Maximum Barriers $12,700 $12,700 $12,700 $12,700 $12,700 Description of Levels
Level 1 Minimal Barriers $7,200 $6,200 $7,200 $6,200 $3,700 $6,100 i.e. Supplies, Tutoring
Level 2 Average/Medium Barriers $9,700 $8,700 $9,700 $8,700 $6,200 $8,600 i.e. Scholarships, Stipends, Supplies,
Tutoring
Level 3 Maximum Barriers $18,700 $17,700 $18,700 $17,700 $15,200 $17,600 i.e. Scholarships, Stipends, Child
care, Supplies, Tutoring,
Transportation, etc.