Thank You for Pointing the Way

At a recent JobTrain graduation our keynote speaker, Supervisor Warren Slocum, shared a story that really resonated with our students.  As a young adult he felt he was headed nowhere.  He had no plans to continue on in school, few dreams and wasn’t sure where he might end up.  His friends were not leading him to make good choices.  The turning point came when he found a mentor, someone who believed in his potential.  His road to success started there, and he likened his experience to the students who find a pathway through JobTrain.

You would think in a community where the unemployment rate is so low, an organization dedicated to helping people find a career path would not be needed.  The theory is that those who want a job can find a job.  The trouble is, they can’t afford to stop at just one job.  Most need two or even three jobs (if they are paid minimum wage) to afford to live in our communities.  Real career paths, with a living wage, are a part of the solution to this growing problem and one of the few that can be self-sustaining over time.  And yet, without someone at the crossroads who can offer an alternative, people on this road often end up at a dead end.  For others even minimum wage jobs are not an option.  Many people reach their crossroads and don’t find a mentor or role model.  Some have had issues with the law, with addiction, with homelessness, others have no money to pay for an education or have no work experience.  For them, the path leads nowhere.

For 50 years, JobTrain has stood in the crossroads, offering people a different road.  Every day, I see the faces of people who are tired but determined, people who have made a choice to change their lives by coming to JobTrain.  Determination is needed because the choice means very hard work, not only during the day in the classroom or in job search, but in the evening taking care of loved ones, and usually holding down a minimum wage job.  It can mean sleeping on someone’s couch, in the park, or traveling hours to get to class.

If I had to use words to describe our students, they would be: quietly heroic.  They don’t wear their troubles on their sleeves, but I’d challenge most people to get up in the morning carrying the load they carry.
 
The staff of JobTrain are also my heroes, because they too carry a big load.  Like many employed by nonprofits, they work hard and long and are challenged by trying to live in a community that, to say the least, is not priced for a nonprofit salary.  They are determined to do everything they can to squeeze more people into classes and programs, in an attempt to shorten our ever growing waiting lists.  And every day I see the joy and satisfaction on their faces when someone in our community makes a great leap in learning, finds a great job, celebrates at a JobTrain graduation or goes on to college.  It never gets old.

However, in the final analysis, it all comes down to you, our dedicated Board, Strategic Advisory Committee, volunteers, community partners, supporters and friends, many of whom have made sure that JobTrain could be here at the crossroads for close to 190,000 people for over 50 years.  You are responsible for thousands of families who were inspired by success, who went on to become not only employees, but employers and whose children and grandchildren became graduates themselves.

Your community needed you.  You stood at the crossroads and pointed the way.  You still do, supporting JobTrain with your time, your donations and your wisdom.

Thank you is totally inadequate.  But you should be very proud.

Nora Sobolov
President and CEO, JobTrain

More than a Counselor blog series: #3 - Choosing the Right Path

In Month 3 of the More than a Counselor blog series, Holly Hanson, career counselor and job developer for JobTrain’s construction training programs, Project Build and Laborers Construction Fundamentals, speaks to her work with a student who previously attended community college.

As the counselor that works with students learning the trade in an industry considered non-traditional in Silicon Valley, I generally see the same type of individuals – those who didn’t follow a traditional path in life, according to society’s rules. Then one day I met with a new student, Tony, who was interested in the construction courses at JobTrain and yet had previously been following a more traditional track.

Tony wasn’t like one of my typical students upon first impression. He was only 19 when I met him (but mature for his age), a high school graduate and had no criminal background. When I asked him why he wanted to be in construction, this is the story he told me: “I was raised by my sister who always kept me on the right path in life, always telling me that I need to be the first in my family to go to college.” So he did.  Right after high school graduation, Tony enrolled in community college. However, one year into college, his sister fell on hard times and couldn’t provide the stable living environment he needed to succeed in college. Tony essentially became homeless, moving from one couch to the next.  He knew he had to find a way to earn a living because now it was “my turn to care for my sister”.  He needed to put college on hold for now and find a fast track to a solid career. His friend suggested JobTrain and I told him he came to the right place.

Now I don’t want to give the wrong impression that this young man shouldn’t go to college.  However sometimes the path to success is not in the order you expect it to be. I sat down with Tony to create a career path that would start in construction and lead him back to college. Today, he is on his re-directed path to success – working a union construction job, supporting his sister and pursuing construction management courses in the evening. He checks in regularly with me and tells me all the exciting and challenging things that are going on in his life. When I tell him that I will always help him if he gets stuck along the way, he says “I know – you’re like my sister." 

More than a Counselor blog series: #2 - Re-entry Client

In Month 2 of the More than a Counselor blog series, Holly Hanson, career counselor and job developer for JobTrain’s construction training programs, shares a story about one of her students who is re-entering the workforce after being previously incarcerated.

Today I’d like to talk about one of my students named Chris.  He was like many of my other students – in his early 30s, from a disadvantaged neighborhood, and spending his life in and out of prisons.  When I first met Chris, we had a long conversation about what he wanted out of life.  He shared with me how he had just finished a 4-year prison sentence and how tired he was – tired of his life on the street and needing to make a change for his kids.

I hear this often but there was something different about Chris.  In spite of his background, he was calm, sincere and was willing to ask me (someone he just met) for help.  As a student at JobTrain, he definitely struggled as school is a big adjustment compared to the instant gratification of the streets, but he stuck with it.  I could tell that in spite of his past experiences, he had a core of being thoughtful and genuine that naturally surfaced.

We had many conversations about him struggling with change.  He had no support at home and many times wanted to quit.  I told him I couldn’t let him quit and that as long as he kept coming to training, I would be his support.  I said, “Let’s prove them wrong.”  That was the first time I ever saw him smile.

So why was this student so different from all the others?  Because I didn’t get the chance to finish helping him.  Two months ago in April 2015, he was gunned down at a party by a jealous man over a girl. Lives wasted.  As I sit here at his funeral, wearing all white at the request of his family, I can’t help but think, my students are, in a sense, my family and family is important to help anyway we can.

Helping Those Who Are Most In Need To Succeed

If someone gave a grant of nearly three quarters of a million dollars to a group of families in East Palo Alto and east Menlo Park who are struggling the most financially, that would be big news!  What if those same families, instead of receiving a grant, were empowered to claim over $700,000 that was rightfully theirs?  I think that is even bigger news!

We are extremely proud to announce the results of the hard work done by JobTrain's Tax-Aid staff and volunteers.  It is wonderful synergy that these results, and an award from the IRS to JobTrain for completing the most tax returns in San Mateo County, have come out just about the same time as Warren Buffett's comments about the earned income tax credit were published in the Wall Street Journal.  

As Mr. Buffett succinctly points out, the gap between rich and poor is growing hopelessly wider as an unintended consequence of our market system, and he is clear that it is "neither the fault of the market system nor the fault of the disadvantaged individuals."  So the challenge is how do we continue to grow and develop our economy and build in a course correction so that we don't unknowingly create such a big gap in the standard of living that it undermines the success we are achieving?

For 50 years now, JobTrain has been a pathway for what Mr. Buffett proposes as an achievable "American Promise: America will deliver a decent life for anyone willing to work."  Many thousands of people over the years have come to JobTrain (formerly OICW) not just for free tax assistance but also for learning a skill, acquiring a GED, learning English, discovering how to more effectively market themselves – in short, making themselves employable. Training and education must be the first effort at breaking the cycle of poverty and JobTrain's free training programs – from construction to culinary, high tech to entry level health and medical careers, and business administration – are able to meet the interests of many people who have found the job market to be more than challenging.  Success truly does happen here as people with significant barriers to employment are clearing those hurdles and moving into the ranks of the gainfully employed.  For many of our graduates, the training they receive here at JobTrain is enough to command more than a minimum wage job.  Others who start at minimum wage often find themselves advancing quickly because their JobTrain education taught them not only their new specific trade or technical skill but also a host of soft skills, from goal setting to problem solving, customer service, and improved communication skills applicable in any work environment.  In the San Francisco Bay Area, we all know it is almost impossible to live on minimum wage, so the earned income tax credit (EITC) is a great help as these newly employed workers move their way up the ladder.

At JobTrain we believe in the dignity and the potential of every human being, and we have seen that applying our unique blend of training and services not only benefits the individual participants, but also has a return on investment back to society.  In the 2013/2014 fiscal year, with a budget of $6 Million dollars, JobTrain's Return on Investment to thecommunity was almost $13 Million dollars.  

As they received evidencethat the EITC has lifted millions of people out of poverty, Congress recently extended improvements to the EITC into 2017.  We wholeheartedly support Mr. Buffett's call to expand the EITC, increase efforts to stop fraud, and ensure that those who qualify get the information and help they need to benefit from this important aspect of our tax code.

Steven Schmidbauer

Chief Operating Officer, JobTrain

More than a Counselor blog series: #1 - Meet Holly Hanson

Meet Holly Hanson, career counselor and job developer for JobTrain’s construction training programs, Project Build and Laborers Construction Fundamentals. Holly provides students with one-on-one career counseling and job placement assistance to ensure their success. However, her work goes beyond counseling, career placement and a 9-to-5 schedule. She is a mentor and is available to her students for just about anything.  For the next 8 months, Holly is going to share stories about her work with different students so you can have a better understanding of JobTrain’s students and the impact JobTrain’s work has on their lives.

In this first blog post, Holly shares the story of her work with a single father in Project Build.

Mike was unemployed and came to the Unemployment Development Department, located at JobTrain’s offices, to file for unemployment. It was during this meeting that he first learned about JobTrain’s free vocational training classes and decided to enroll. I first met with Mike at orientation and he shared with me that he had previously attended vocational training offered by another organization.  He was now $30,000 in debt and still had no job.  The previous training had promised him a job at the end of his training, but when he graduated he found that there was little to no demand for the position he had trained for. Mike is a single father so to support his daughter he took a job as a security guard. Unfortunately, he was barely making ends meet and then to make it worse, his work hours were reduced.

Mike was determined not to fail his daughter. When I met with him for our first one-on-one session, I knew that he would be a great candidate for Project Build because he was organized, punctual and thoughtful about his future. I also connected him to our on-site child development center so that his 4-year-old daughter had a safe place to be while he attended classes. Shortly after he enrolled in the program, I noticed that he was struggling to maintain focus in the class. I asked Mike to meet with me to see if he was okay. Mike then shared that the mother of his child is an alcoholic and abuses alcohol in the presence of their child. He was in the process of helping her enter a treatment facility. Mike explained, “My child needs her mother whether we are together or not. My daughter deserves to have two parents.”

Mike is a good student despite his personal struggles with single parenting. We continue to have regular check-ins to see which unions he has researched and applied for as well as regular updates on how he and his daughter are doing.  I love seeing him and his daughter leave together after school.  The true happiness I see on their faces shows that despite Mike’s stress, he never lets it affect his ability to be a good father.

Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on Holly’s work with a student who was previously incarcerated and looking to start a new chapter in his life.

JobTrain to Offer Free Coding Class Beginning April 6th

Beginning on April 6, 2015, JobTrain will offer a free 4-month Coding Class designed to give students practical, real world skills to help prepare them for entry-level jobs in the technology sector.  JobTrain is a local nonprofit job training and placement center with extensive experience serving a diverse and dynamic population and works closely with technology companies throughout the Bay Area to ensure that program content matches employer needs.

The class will include a mixture of lecture, class discussion, special projects, and guest speakers.  Students will also complete a portfolio that they can use to show potential employers what they have learned.  The curriculum will include: Introduction to Computer Science, Fundamentals of HTML, Introduction to CSS, Introduction to JavaScript, and Ruby on Rails.

This will be a full-time, 16-week course and includes JobTrain’s Essential Skills classes which cover such topics as problem solving, customer service, budgeting, and goal setting.  JobTrain’s comprehensive “whole person” approach to student success, also includes counseling, supportive services, and job placement.  This course will cover content from several Cañada College courses and students will receive college credits and start a transcript, providing them with a pathway to further educational opportunities.

For more information about this class, please call Lacey Padgett at (650) 330-6418 or email: lpadgett@jobtrainworks.org.

Your "LIKE" Matters! Show Your Love for JobTrain on Facebook!

Cupcakes for EVERYONE, if we reach our goal!

Tell your family and friends to “LIKE” JobTrain on Facebook today at www.facebook.com/jobtrain

Come by JobTrain for a FREE Valentine's Day Cupcake on 

Friday, February 13th beginning at 12:00 noon! (while supplies last)

Help us cross the finish line - make your donation to JobTrain today!

As we near the end of our annual Holiday Campaign, we would like to announce that we are very close to achieving our goal – you can help us cross the finish line by making a donation today!

JobTrain closed out 2014 by providing job training and supportive services to over 8,000 people throughout the Bay Area.  Your gift will help a student like Raina, a Project Build graduate who spent a decade in and out of prison before turning her life around with help from a partnership between the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and JobTrain.  When Raina was chosen to represent her graduating class she had this to say, “JobTrain has helped to change my life for the better.  I’ve learned at JobTrain that if I can find the courage to follow my dreams, the doors of opportunity become endless.”  Today Raina is a member of Carpenters Union Local 217.

To help JobTrain reach our goal, you may make a donation from our safe and secure donation site by CLICKING HERE, or you may contact Reshma Putnam at (650) 330-6436 or rputnam@jobtrainworks.org.  Your gift will be matched by donations from JobTrain’s Board of Directors and community champions. 

Thank you for helping those most in need to succeed!

What If Failure Were Not An Option?

This is the time of year when I think about “what if.”  What if everyone started life with a safe place to live, to learn, and with enough to eat?

Having spent a year at JobTrain, I have another “what if” on my list.  What if we truly believed that everyone has the potential for a better life?  Instead of “x-ing” people out and limiting ourselves to those we let in, we decided that everyone should be included?  What if we believed failure was not an option? 

When faced with scarce resources, our communities often respond with choosing people we know will succeed.  What if, instead, we decided that everyone had potential, and that those most in need could succeed?  What if we developed a set of supports and programs, in an atmosphere where everything was geared to helping people realize this potential and where everyone believed in them and insisted that they not give up? 

A young man recently spoke of his time at JobTrain.  Everything around him was dragging him down a path he knew would lead nowhere.  He didn’t really believe in himself.  Everyone at JobTrain kept telling him: “we know it may seem easier to fail, to not try, to not make it.  But, that isn’t an option here… we won’t let you.”  He began to see that a new life was possible.  Today, he runs his own business and even employs JobTrain students.  He said that this was the first time and place, anywhere he had ever been, where the only option was to succeed.

JobTrain’s own numbers demonstrate the impact of this approach: 89% graduate.  Over the past several years, our graduates have gone on to collectively earn millions of dollars of wages, and for those who have been incarcerated, are more likely to be employed than go back to jail. 

Our new Three Year Strategic Plan is a vision for JobTrain’s future, created by supporters, friends, and community members who know that in a world where failure is not an option, fewer people fail.  More people find a path to success, where they contribute to the community, prosper, and grow.  This in turn leads to a world where fewer and fewer people are hungry, homeless, and cold. 

We are so grateful to our community, our supporters, and our champions, who believe, as JobTrain does, that failure is not an option.  Thank you for your continued support and may you have a joyous holiday season.   

To learn more, or to support JobTrain, please CLICK HERE.

Nora Sobolov

Executive Director

JobTrain Named A 2014 Top-Rated Nonprofit

JobTrain is pleased to announce that it is one of the winners of the 2014 Top-Rated Awards by GreatNonprofits.  Founded in 2007, GreatNonprofits is the leading provider of reviews and ratings of nonprofit organizations throughout the United States, as well as a developer of tools that allow people to find, review, and share information about nonprofits and charities.

Friends, partners, and other stakeholders of JobTrain helped make this award possible by sharing their real-life experiences with JobTrain on the GreatNonprofits website over the last few months.  JobTrain is truly honored to receive this special award.

To view JobTrain’s page on the GreatNonprofits website, please click here!

State of the Nonprofit

I’m writing to share with you JobTrain’s 2014 Three Year Strategic Plan, our 2014 Annual Report and our 2014 Report to Stakeholders.  While it is hard to capture the transformative power of JobTrain’s work on paper, these reports will tell you what we do, how we do it, the impact we have had and where we are going in the near future

JobTrain's Three Year Strategic Plan was created in extensive consultation with our many stakeholders.  As we plan to celebrate our 50th year, we are exploring exciting new opportunities to raise awareness, further share our model, expand our impact, develop ongoing revenue that will add to our long-term sustainability, and provide the on-the-job training that our students need.  In future years, our Report to Stakeholders will explain how JobTrain performed against our goals.

Click here to see JobTrain's Three Year Strategic Plan

Our Annual Report is a brief overview of who JobTrain served, how we served them, and the impact we had in the community. 

Click here to see JobTrain’s Annual Report

Our 2014 Report to Stakeholders is a new report.  Here we explain in more detail how JobTrain works, why it uses the model it does, why it is unique, where it fits in the workforce landscape, and how it allocates its resources. 

Click here to see the JobTrain’s 2014 Report to Stakeholders

Please let me know if you have any questions or feedback.

Thank you so much for your continued partnership to help ensure those most in need succeed. 

Nora Sobolov

Executive Director

A New Way to Solve an Old Problem

BluBridge VP of Business Development Josh Amrani addresses JobTrain's 30th Annual Breakfast of Champions

With pockets of unemployment still at historic levels in some Silicon Valley neighborhoods, Josh Amrani, Vice President of Business Development at BluBridge Solutions in Menlo Park, had an idea. His company wanted to partner with JobTrain in a unique way: providing a percentage of their sales to support student success in JobTrain’s Project Build construction training program. This partnership signaled the beginning of the 20 Scholarship Fund initiative.

BluBridge started in France more than fifteen years ago, developing software for construction and public works companies of all sizes. Since then, it has helped more than 30,000 users worldwide by simplifying operating procedures through a fully integrated estimating, project management and scheduling software to ensure business costs are controlled and profits are maximized. In July, the company established its first division in North and South America. Amrani says BluBridge is excited that the company has already sponsored one student in Project Build and is looking forward to many more. When asked why BluBridge wanted to help launch this new initiative, Josh had this to say:

“That’s easy to answer, as construction picks up in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area, general contractors say they have a hard time finding well-trained, reliable workers to hire. JobTrain is known for its high caliber training of folks, many of whom had found themselves unemployable. We are proud to help fund the opportunity for people to turn their lives around.”

The 20 Scholarship Fund was born to allow corporations and individuals to invest directly in the success of our students at JobTrain. Each $10,000 scholarship will allow one student to receive comprehensive training and supportive services in a JobTrain program, which includes one-on-one counseling, school supplies, work uniforms and job placement services. In its foundational year, we are aiming to find investment for twenty scholarships and will build the program in the future. We have already received pledges for the 20 Scholarship Fund and the program continues to grow. Donors may choose a particular vocational training area for their investment. Included among the benefits to be received by the scholarship fund’s sponsors are:

• A special video thank you from a student graduate which can be used on your website and in promotional materials.

• A virtual plaque commemorating your scholarship gift, to be displayed on our website with a link to your website if you so choose.

• A Corporate banner or logo to be displayed in your student’s classroom.

Nora Sobolov, Executive Director of JobTrain, says, “We are thrilled by the support and enthusiasm of BluBridge. As a neighbor of ours in Menlo Park, Josh Amrani and BluBridge Professional Services Manager Izzy Huskic have spent many hours working with our students and learning about our programs. Their sponsorship and their initial contribution to kick off our 20 Scholarship Fund will enable us to help even more people hurt by the economy and life events. BluBridge has also donated thirty software licenses for students to use in Project Build.”

JobTrain is also proud to announce that the Chamberlain Family, Patrick Pichette and TE Connectivity have also joined the 20 Scholarship Fund initiative in order to support the individual efforts of students to improve their lives and the lives of their families. For more information on the 20 Scholarship Fund, please contact Susan Boiko, Director of Development & Marketing at (650) 330-6521 or sboiko@jobtrainworks.org.

Volunteer at JobTrain!

The Mills-Peninsula Senior Focus Volunteer Services Newsletter (Volume 20, Issue 3) features an article about JobTrain’s volunteer opportunities! You may read the article below:

JobTrain 
By Deborah Owdom 

On a recent site visit to JobTrain in Menlo Park, I had the opportunity to tour the facility and get a close look at the services that they provide. I left there after a 90 minute visit inspired by what they do for the community and the population that they serve.

JobTrain served 8,000 people in 2013, concentrating efforts on populations with the biggest problems: returning parolees, long-term unemployed, homeless, those on public assistance, high school dropouts, marginalized youth and people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction
.
Their successes are remarkable. Eighty-seven percent of those who enrolled in full-time vocational training completed programs and 76% of graduates were placed in careers at an average starting wage of nearly $15 per hour. One year later, 88% were still employed and many had been promoted. Vocational training is only one piece of the JobTrain experience. The holistic approach to long term success provides hundreds of other opportunities for clients to become self-sufficient and responsible.

People choose to volunteer with JobTrain be-cause their time truly makes an impact on their students, the staff and the mission of the organization. Whether it is assisting with a fund raising event, helping staff in the office, or serving as an aide in a classroom, each volunteer becomes a valuable part of the JobTrain Team.

Volunteer Opportunities include: 
Teacher’s Aide, Academic or English as a Second Language Tutoring, Administrative Office support, and Job Development. They also value volunteers who are able to help with special projects such as fundraising events – Annual Golf Tournament and the Breakfast of Champions.

To volunteer at JobTrain, contact Siosiua “C2” Vea, Administrative Services Specialist, at svea@jobtrainworks.org or (650) 330-6567.

Building the Future by Nora Sobolov, Executive Director

It has been my pleasure to meet with many people in JobTrain family over the past six months. Everyone tells me how important it is for our community and our country to find ways to sustain and grow JobTrain’s reach and impact to help bridge the opportunity divide. 

As we consider how to meet this growing need, we have been looking at organizations throughout the Bay Area and across the country that work to help people seeking employment. What we’ve found won’t surprise our long-time supporters. There are unique qualities about JobTrain’s programs and services that contribute to our students’ success. These include the broad scope of our training and supportive services, working with people without a high school diploma and training people currently in jail through San Mateo County’s work furlough program. We truly help those most in need to succeed.

As we begin the countdown to our 50^th Anniversary, we are considering how we can build on JobTrain’s unique services and impact, and find new paths to sustainability by collaborating with potential partners in the US and internationally.

In order to accomplish these goals, we’d like to get your candid opinions on the questions in JobTrain’s “Building the Future” survey. Your input will help guide us in developing our strategic and action plans.  We anticipate this survey will take you 10-15 minutes to complete. All responses will be used for research purposes only and will be kept strictly confidential. 

To take this survey, please click HERE. Please note: The deadline for completing this survey has been extended to Wednesday, April 30, 2014.

Our students and our community are counting on you. If you would like to contact me directly, I’m always happy to hear from you. Thank you very much for your time!

A New Way of Life, A New Beginning by Nora Sobolov, Executive Director

As a former investment fund manager, I know that metrics are important.  When choosing where to work next, I looked for an organization that could demonstrate real impact in past years and a great foundation for future growth.  JobTrain offered that option for me.  It is an organization that for nearly 50 years has thrived by constantly adapting to a changing marketplace while at the same time making sure it kept its impact for individuals and the community. 

JobTrain helps people secure a new way of life and a new beginning through vocational training, employment services and job placement.  It offers full-time programs at little or no cost to students.  Also offered are GED, computer literacy, an interview outfit, job readiness training, child care and access to other counseling and supportive services that have been proven to ensure success in getting and keeping a job.  Through partnerships with area employers, JobTrain makes sure its students gain work experience with field placements and paid internships and then, after graduation, helps them find jobs.

Maria, one of our graduates, is a great example of our impact.  Here is her story: “A year ago I was sent to the San Mateo County Women’s Correctional Center to serve a two year sentence.  I was in court when the bailiff tapped me on my shoulder – all I could think of was my children and my husband.  I could not bear to think of not being there for them.  That night in jail was the longest night of my life and I cried myself to sleep.

While in jail, I met with a corrections officer who offered me a place in a program called the “Women’s Transitional Facility,” also known as Honor’s Camp.  Through this program I was approved to attend classes at JobTrain.  This was my chance to make it right.  JobTrain was that chance.

As a student in JobTrain’s Culinary Arts program, I learned how to prepare food with pride and passion.  I was hired at a brand new restaurant in Menlo Park called The Refuge and I love it!  I wouldn’t have been able to land that job if it weren’t for JobTrain. From the first time I walked through JobTrain’s doors, I looked forward to coming to school, being greeted by people with a smile.  Suddenly, I was full of hope. 

After work, I went back to the San Mateo County Women’s Correctional Center to serve out my time.  On Mondays I volunteer at JobTrain.  JobTrain is a way of life, a new beginning, a family.  I am truly thankful to have so many different families, who have supported me through the toughest time in my life.”

JobTrain’s track record speaks volumes.  Last year more than 8,000 people benefited from a JobTrain program and hundreds took vocational training. Our graduates get and keep jobs – one year after placement, 88% of those hired are still employed and many have been promoted.  Our vocational training graduates earned nearly $10 million in wages last year alone.  You can’t beat JobTrain’s return on investment.

We are all interested in both past performance and future promise. Donations during JobTrain’s Holiday Campaign will help ensure 400 student scholarships for our vocational training programs and employment services for several thousand members of our community.  We invite you to join us in this important campaign.  Every donation will be matched from community leaders and JobTrain’s Board of Directors.  To make your secure online donation, please click HERE.

Please stay tuned as we continue our journey.  We’ve already started down the path looking at how best and most strategically to increase our economic impact for our students and graduates.  We hope you will join JobTrain as it shapes its future. 

Innovating to the edge of capacity by Nora Sobolov, Executive Director

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the culture of scarcity.  Having recently gone back to the direct service nonprofit world, I’m struck by how small the field of vision for so many nonprofits has become.  While JobTrain is particularly lucky in our donors and funding partners, many of my colleague’s nonprofits have been starved for funding to keep operations alive, leading to the inevitable hamster wheel of doing more and more work to chase fewer dollars.  This makes it very hard to see beyond the cage or to use the cliché, think outside the box.  And yet, we all remain surprised that more concrete innovations and more importantly, implementation of these innovative ideas have not emerged.

My friend and colleague Laura Manning, Executive Director of the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation recently tweeted a comment that jump started me: “How do you know where the edge of your capacity is if you never fail?”  Innovation always entails risk, but as so many nonprofits have learned, selling risk in today’s environment is very tricky.  Funders want innovation, but frequently the solution to failure (or to the inevitable short term fall off of regular funds that can happen during the development phase) is that organizations cut back to “live within their means.”  Since so many organizations have been cash starved for years, cutbacks to find room for innovation can mean that core services are dropped and people aren’t served.  As services drop off, funding becomes harder to get.  It is not an environment conducive to risk or innovation.  It is rather like suggesting someone who is homeless should go to college and cut back on food to afford it; nonprofits have their noses pressed against the window and can see what’s inside the store, but they can’t possibly afford to buy. 

Our current nonprofit models are being disrupted by social finance and social enterprise, but concrete living examples are in short supply.  We have a long way to go to have our nonprofit “corporate culture” and funding models catch up with this vision.  As my grandmother would say: our eyes are bigger than our stomach.

In the short term, we need more leaders and funders of direct service nonprofits to start talking about fostering a culture where dreams are not only possible, but encouraged.  Front line social workers have known for years that clients who tell us that they can no longer dream of a better future are unlikely to ever have one.  Why would we think nonprofits are different? 

To some degree, we need a leap of faith, a sort of “if you build it, they will come” mantra to help us imagine a world where we might grow rather than incrementally creep along.  A world where the outcomes really will matter more than how many paper clips we bought.  And yes, a world where you truly go big or go home and are prepared to innovate to the edge of your capacity. 

 Stay tuned…..

Hewlett Packard Gives Back to Community: JobTrain Project Build Students Benefit from Job Readiness Workshop

On April 25, 2013, Hewlett Packard employees led by Teri Eyre SVP, Human Resources at HP and JobTrain board member, convened at JobTrain to share their expertise by helping students develop marketable resumes. 

The workshop taught the fundamentals of job readiness, including interview skills, resume critique and how to successfully market oneself to prospective employers. HP has been a longtime supporter of JobTrain and provided critical assistance to students studying construction at JobTrain.

Click HERE to watch an excerpt from today's workshop. And be sure to watch Project Build student Jason's Special Thanks to Hewlett Packard! 

Visionary of Hope & Ambassador to Opportunity for All: Reflection of the Life & Legacy of Leon Sullivan

Today, we reflect upon the life and legacy of OIC founder and visionary Leon Howard Sullivan.

Reverend Sullivan was born on October 16, 1922 and passed away on this day in 2001.  Leon Sullivan was a Baptist minister, a civil rights leader and led the crusade for creating job training opportunities for Blacks. Sullivan helped organize the march on Washington, D.C., in the 1940s.  Sullivan knew that jobs were critical in order to improve the living conditions of Blacks. In 1958 he requested that the largest companies in Philadelphia interview young Blacks. After only two companies responded favorably to Sullivan, he organized a boycott of various businesses and regarded the act as “Selective Patronage.” Sullivan coined the slogan, “Don’t buy where you don’t work.” The boycott was remarkably effective as Blacks accounted for 20% of the population in Philadelphia. The end result: the boycott generated thousands of jobs for Blacks in the span of just (4) years. The New York Times ran the story on their front page. Fortune magazine’s coverage of the situation put Sullivan and his program on the national map of public awareness.

In 1962, Sullivan's Boycotts were recognized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference who persuaded Sullivan to share information with them on his success. The exchange led to SCLC's economic arm, Operation Breadbasket, in 1967, headed by Jesse Jackson.

Sullivan’s “self-help” principle was an ideology based in the belief that people need tools to help themselves overcome barriers of poverty and oppression. Blacks were systematically excluded from better paying jobs as they were denied access to the requisite training. Sullivan’s vision and plan to help individuals obtain self-sufficiency was crystallized when he realized that jobs in of themselves were not enough. According to Sullivan: “I found that we need training.  Integration without preparation is frustration.”

In 1964, Sullivan launched Opportunities Industrialized Centers (OIC) of America. The program offered individuals with little hope and few prospects the opportunity to obtain critical job training and life skills to help them sustain employment. The innovative concept swept the nation.  As of date, with scores of affiliated programs in (30) states and the District of Columbia, OIC has prospered into a highly regarded movement, and has helped more than 2,000,000 disenfranchised and under-skilled individuals transform their lives.

OICW, Opportunities Industrialized Centers West (JobTrain) was established in 1965.  In 2008, OICW changed their name to JobTrain.  Since 1965, JobTrain continues to transform lives and communities in Silicon Valley. For nearly  five decades, we've helped the Valley's most in need reclaim their lives from poverty and unemployment by preparing them for successful careers in high-demand fields. JobTrain transforms personal motivation and potential into real skills that are the foundation for self-sufficiency and self-worth. In addition to “vocational training,” we understand that these fundamental transformations require a high school diploma, computer literacy, an interview outfit and ongoing encouragement, as well as access to basics like housing, transportation, counseling and childcare. Our 165,000 individual success stories prove that powerful transformations happen. And it takes time, commitment and the right resources.

Sullivan made history multiple times, especially when he became the first Black to join the Board of Directors at General Motors in 1971. Six years later, Sullivan instituted a code of conduct for companies doing business in South Africa, regarded as the “Sullivan Principles,” this was a solution to complete disinvestment. Sullivan was instrumental in ending apartheid by lobbying large corporations such as GM and others to voluntarily withdraw from conducting business in South Africa.  

Today, we honor an incomparable visionary and selfless leader that established real opportunities for individuals to help themselves. 

We celebrate Leon Sullivan's exemplary life, for creating the foundation which has sustained JobTrain for almost half a century, and for creating the international affiliate offices - that believe in the potential of every human being and encourages them to always strive for achieving their personal best.    

Wells Fargo Executives Lead Financial Literacy Workshop at JobTrain

On Friday, April 19, 2013, Wells Fargo representatives Nicole Harris and Deborah Sage, led a pertinent and timely financial workshop for the Professional Health Care Worker students at JobTrain, emphasizing financial stability.

Watch this video and learn why Wells Fargo Believes in JobTrain also click HERE  to watch an excerpt from the financial literacy workshop.  

Ms. Harris is the Assistant Branch Manager and Deborah Sage is a Personal Banker, at Wells Fargo. Their presentation focused on the importance of: 

• Creating a practical budget 
• Utilizing credit effectively 
• Protecting against identity theft 

"I support JobTrain because of what they do for the community. They help people get on their feet.  They help people get ready for the work world. And it's simply a great place with a lot of happy and grateful faces."
 -Nicole Harris

"JobTrain is an amazing program. I refer people to JobTrain for the opportunity to rebuild their lives and educate themselves - and to become re-established within their communities." -Deborah Sage 

Second Harvest Food Bank Honors JobTrain as Outstanding Nutritional Partner!

On April 5, 2013, JobTrain was honored as the Outstanding Nutritional Partner by Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, at their annual 2013 Agency Conference—“Harvest of Knowledge.” 

Approximately 300 attendees celebrated this remarkable event at the Oracle campus in Redwood City. Director of Administrative Services Eric Forgaard, accepted the award on behalf of JobTrain. Second Harvest Food Bank presented the award to JobTrain, because we consistently benefit from the outstanding and nutritious food generously supplied by SHFB. 

JobTrain’s Youth Culinary Arts class and CDC (Child Development Center) are the proud beneficiaries of such in-kind donations. 

Our Culinary Arts students use the food to prepare delicious in-class meals. And our adorable preschoolers and their families, appreciate knowing that our little ones are receiving healthy juice boxes, fruit, wholesome snacks and breakfast items to help nourish their bodies and jumpstart their days. In addition to providing food, Second Harvest Food Bank leads nutritional training courses for our culinary classes and for our child development teachers. 

Please join us in celebrating this terrific honor and thanking Second Harvest Food Bank for recognizing JobTrain!