TALLER SAN JOSE (2) - 2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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To help students successfully enroll in community college, a transition specialist from Santa Ana College works directly with students to complete the necessary application, registration, and financial aid forms. Santa Ana College's Continuing Education program welcomes any interested Taller San Jose student or graduate to come to campus and take a free Math and English skills assessment. These students can then participate in free small group or one-on-one tutoring sessions on campus. A guest speaker from Registration meets with Medical Careers Academy trainees to discuss the application process and brings materials to allow students to enroll at that time. The college has also agreed to assist Taller with the development of a basic skills class (as preparation for their placement exams) for students. Students also receive priority registration for their first semester within the community college district. As an organization, Taller San Jose is distinguished by program refinement and continuous improvement. Taller San Jose uses an established evaluation method including: client surveys, focus groups, and feedback collected during mentoring sessions to address client concerns. Taller San Jose program staff meets bi-monthly to discuss and refine existing programs and services. To evaluate its community impact, Taller measures five "critical to quality" outcomes: 1) recruitment of troubled youth motivated to change; 2) training all students in soft and hard skills; 3) strong and appropriate support services; 4) placement of graduates into permanent jobs with a living-wage prospect; and 5) 24 months of job-retention support and follow-up. Taller San Jose uses the Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) student tracking system to monitor student attendance, goal setting and achievement, educational assessment and progress, graduation rates and job placement, as well as assisting with recruitment and retention efforts. This information also helps staff target students in danger of dropping out of educational or job training programs. Taller San Jose strives to move young people out of poverty and on to employment with a living wage and benefits while maintaining a crime-free lifestyle. In the last fiscal year, 351 students enrolled in Taller San Jose and: • 201 graduated • 82% of graduates were placed in employment or continued their education through an apprenticeship or community college S $11.26 is the average wage of graduates • 45% of employed graduates receive full health benefits • 92% of graduates with a criminal record did not reoffend. A Program Description Eligible WIA participants between the ages of 18-21, who pass Taller San Jose's pre-enrollment interview, drug screen and who show right-to-work documents, are able to enroll in one of Taller San Jose's training academies in construction, office careers or medical careers. 6 sponsored by the Sifters of St. Joseph of Orange The training model for each of the job training tracks focuses on three key areas: Hard Skills Development - work experience, Employability Development - job preparation, and Life Skills Development - on-going personal development. Over the course of the training period, participants complete the following curriculum: