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…..