|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
West
Central Initiative Foundation's Career Advancement Program
Purpose: Purpose: To provide training opportunities and wrap-around support services for low-income, incumbent workers.
The Career Advancement program is designed for low-wage-earning parents who are firmly attached to the workforce in entry level and low wage positions, to help them obtain better jobs with concrete opportunities for further career advancement by upgrading their skills to meet specific needs of employers. The program helps participants assess career options and develop a personalized action plan including access to an existing training program and personal support services. In the first year of operation, training was highly individualized and included a wide range of types, sources, and durations, ranging from short-term, job-specific training through Teamworks to enrollment in college. For all participants, the program included case management services to assess and meet a range of support needs to stay on track with their plan. In the second year, the program moved closer to its original design, concentrating on short-term training delivered through one of four existing major workforce training initiatives in west central Minnesota. Two of these, WORKFORCE 2020 and Teamworks, focus on preparing workers for advancement in manufacturing settings. The Joint Healthcare Workforce Committee focuses on moving workers into healthcare career paths, and the Grow Your Own IT Professional Initiative targets filling a major niche – the need for workers in basic support of information technology systems within small companies.
 |
Partners: (As of April 2003) | |
| Educational: NW Technical College Customized Training | ||
| Employers and business organization: MN Technology, Midwest Manufacturers Association, Workforce 2020, Pelican Valley Nursing Home | ||
| Non-Profit Organizations: Teamworks, Anishinaabe Center, West Central Minnesota Labor Force Development Council | ||
| Public philanthropic, and other organizations: West Central Initiative, Rural Minnesota CEP; Minnesota Department of Economic Security Job Service (in-kind support) | ||
|
|
Participants: Low-wage earning parents in west central Minnesota | |
|
|
Recruitment: The Native American population in Becker County was initially targeted, but the program soon expanded into surrounding counties in western Minnesota. Referrals come from many of the partnering organizations. The program coordinator initiates contact with a large number of firms in the region to identify their training needs and plans, in order to identify opportunities to meet their needs through the program’s operations | |
|
|
Training: Short-term training (under 100 hours) designed to upgrade an individual’s skills to qualify for improved employment | |
|
|
Support Services: A wide range of highly individualized services are made available through a case management approach and through a $400 budget available to meet training-related needs | |
|
|
Job placement, retention and advancement: At the time they enter the program, most participants have a job or the promise of a job upon completion of the program. All receive help with career planning and development of long-term goals, and the case manager helps them follow this plan during their time in the program | |
 |