Goodwill-Easter Seals, Inc.

Purpose: To help low-income adults with multiple barriers to advancement to obtain, retain, and advance in jobs, by providing industry-specific job training and individualized support services.

This grant enhances Goodwill/Easter Seal’s employer-driven Skills Training Programs that provide skills training in specific industries through partnerships with employers for program design and training. The McKnight grant supports expansion of current training programs in bank skills, construction skills, and financial services. All programs are conducted in conjunction with industry partners, and participants earn at least minimum wage while performing hands-on work in the training programs. The training and employment programs were developed with business participation. In addition, this program has formally established Business Advisory Councils (BACs), one for Construction and one for Banking and Finance. The grant also helps to increase the number of retention specialists, and covers program costs for participants who do not qualify for government funding. It also allows the addition of programs to teach skills that complement the existing skills training programs, including English language classes, keyboard skills, basic computer skills, and work experience opportunities. The three main goals for the project are to: expand the number of skills training classes to meet the growing demand, strengthen the retention and support components of the programs to include career advancement planning for each participant, and add programs to teach skills that complement existing skills training programs and make their participants more hirable. Participants receive a detailed assessment that includes questions about interests and goals. One of the activities added last year as a direct result of this project was the Bank Skills Learning Group. This group was created in response to interest from participants placed at TCF to come together for ongoing support and training. The group receives managerial support from TCF, which provides a centralized site to meet and approved an hour of time every other week for participants to leave their work sites to participate in the group. They are using existing curriculum (Adventures in Attitudes) as well as other customized curricula to fit the work environment, and all curricula have been approved by TCF.

	Partners: (As of April 2003)
		Educational: St. Paul Public Schools Ronald M. Hubbs Center (on-site ESL and math classes), Minneapolis Community and Technical College (Financial Careers Institute to which G/ES refers individuals to advance their education)
		Employers and business organization: US Bank, TCF Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, M & I Bank; OnTrack for Life Properties (sites for construction training)
		Non-Profit Organizations: Goodwill/Easter Seals, Habitat for Humanity, Urban HomeWorks, Harriet Tubman Center (anti-domestic violence training), MELD (parenting classes)
		Public philanthropic, and other organizations: None
	Participants: Most participants have barriers to independence, yet lack other traditional funding sources for training and employment services. Many experience problems with transportation, child care, and health care, while some have physical or mental health disabilities, lack affordable housing, or face multiple barriers
	Recruitment: Informational sessions are held at Goodwill/Easter Seals and other community service organizations. They have been actively recruiting from Neighborhood Employment Network (NET) agencies and MFIP providers, and outreach to homeless shelters, Rehabilitation Services offices, and other community-based organizations
	Training: All training programs include a mix of classroom work and hands-on work experience at employer sites. The skills training curriculum has continued to develop with the input of business partners. Several programs are offered which were designed to improve self-reliance including an ongoing, weekly women’s group, and self-advocacy seminars, parenting classes in partnership with MELD, English Language Learning classes, Job Clubs to help program graduates find jobs, weekly housing classes, and a partnership with Tubman Family Alliance to incorporate domestic abuse education and prevention into the training classroom. Participants develop Career Advancement Plans that take into account current experience, education, abilities, interests, and family needs.
	Support Services: Before and after placement retention specialists help participants find housing, child care, transportation, or other resources that will help them stay on the job
	Job placement, retention and advancement: The program’s extensive employer relationships help participants identify job opportunities, and some participants are offered jobs even prior to graduation. Retention services, including a career laddering component, are typically provided at the participant’s place of employment, and include support for the employer as well as for the participant