TALLER SAN JOSE (2) - 2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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II. About the Organization A. Description of Proposer Taller San Jose walks undereducated, unskilled and unemployed young people (ages 18-28) out of poverty through job training that offers the hope of a productive and self-reliant future. Taller San Jose is a highly focused, goal oriented program that helps students develop into self-reliant adults through three training academies in Office Careers, Construction and Medical Careers, as well as support services that include mentoring and counseling, legal assistance, 12-step support groups and job placement. Established by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange in 1995, Taller San Jose has helped more than 4,000 high-risk youth in Santa Ana and the surrounding communities restructure their lives, develop marketable skills and find employment. Taller San Jose is a multi-service program providing: mentoring and counseling services, life skills, job-preparation, job-placement and job coaching, bus passes and childcare support as well as vocational programs in construction, office careers and medical careers. Taller San Jose recruits students primarily from Santa Ana and Central Orange County. Chronic poverty, low education levels, unemployment, overcrowded housing and the impact of immigration combine to make Santa Ana the city with the highest level of "urban hardship" in the United States, according to a 2004 study by the Rockefeller Institute of Government. Taller San Jose's students reflect the following profile: Ethnic diversity: 72% of youth are Latino, 13% are Caucasian, 7% Asian, 3% African American and 5% Other; Age: Youth and young adults between the ages of 18 and 28. Median age is 23; Court-involvement: 59 % of male students are currently on probation or parole; Education and skill levels: 95% are deficient in basic skills (i.e., 6`" grade math and reading levels); Education level. 38% of students did not complete their High School Diploma; Job experience: 77% are unemployed. 37% have never held a job. Of those who have been employed, 85% have not held a job for more than 6 months; Family profile: 22% of female students and 17% of male students are parents. Taller San Jose employs twenty-one full-time and two part-time staff, with an additional part- time ROP/Centennial staff member available to youth enrolled in the program. The Organization's FY 2008-2009 operating budget is $2,863,828. The breakdown of revenue sources for Fiscal Year 2007-2008 is as follows: Individuals- 50%; Foundation Grants- 26%; Corporate gifts- 12%; and Government grants- 12%. Taller San Jose works to promote systemic change within the local community. It serves as a structured and supportive environment in the center of the city for young people who are caught in the cycle of poverty and need further training to become financially independent. Taller San Jose carefully tracks its program outcomes and has learned over the years that 92% of its program graduates are not re-incarcerated. By comparison, the State of California has one of the highest recidivism rates in the country, with 70% of past offenders returning to jail within twenty-four months of release. Furthermore, in the last fiscal year, 201 students graduated from Taller San Jose and: • 82% of graduates were placed in employment or went on to an apprenticeship or community college • $11.26 is the average wage of graduates • 45% of graduates receive full health benefits • 89% of graduates remain employed 12 months after graduation • 92% of graduates with a criminal record did not reoffend. 11 , onrored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange