SANTA ANA WORK CENTER STEM YOUTH PROGRAM (3)

Home Browse Search

2 Development Grants, Department of Labor — Earmark Grants, the Department of Justice — Weed and Seed Program, and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) programs. Our average annual operating budget is $3.2 million. Our sources of funding stem from State and County adult and youth grants in addition to Federal Department of Labor WIA Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth Formula Grants, and Rapid Response grants. Our goal is always to look for ways to leverage funds from different funding streams to provide more customers with more services. That is why this year we have made efforts to leverage our entire STEM staffing from other funding streams like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). This will allow us to serve double the youth with two full-time case managers that will provide quality services funded under CDBG. Through the varied funding streams throughout the years, we have made an in impact on thousands of undereducated, low-income youth with barriers to employment, by providing them workforce programs that offered paid work experience, work readiness, life skills, occupational training, insight into various career through job shadowing, and most importantly the knowledge of how to find and advance in employment in order to retain financial security and self-sufficiency. More specifically, in the last three years, the SAWC has overseen and administrated youth programs with funding from Department of Labor ARRA funds, Orange County Community Services (WIB), and Community Partnership of Orange County in which we met and exceeded all performance and enrollment requirements. In addition, our partnering agency, CTE-ROP, has an extensive history serving youth in the City of Santa Ana. Last year over 7,000 high school students participated in the school district's Career Technical Education (CTE) program in various career courses. This total represents over 50% of high school students being served by the program. This partnership will enable us to prepare in -school and out -of - school youth for STEM related opportunities that are very much needed in our community. C. PROBLEM, BARRIERS, SOLUTION The demand for skilled workers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is closely linked to global competitiveness. In the 21st century, scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalization and a knowledge - based economy. To succeed in this new information -based and highly technological society, young people need to develop their capabilities in STEM and its opportunities for their future. Youth are unaware of the opportunities and job growth that lie within the STEM careers. Many youth believe that STEM jobs are the doctors and nurses and don't really understand the variety of occupations within STEM careers and how many of the entry level occupations are now incorporating technology and math that is also included in STEM careers. STEM related fields are many and diverse; about 150 different college majors have been identified by the National Science Foundation as STEM majors. Equally diverse are the industries in which STEM jobs are critically important to growth and competitive success. Some of these industries are obvious: advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, chemical engineering, energy, and health care all relay on high- level skills and education in the STEM fields in their workforce. Other industries may seem less obvious for their reliance on STEM knowledge and skills, such as construction, retail, transportation, and hospitality. Changing technology and expectations of the workforce in these industries make STEM knowledge important even in these industries. For example, mechanics in the trucking industry must deal with sophisticated computer technology in both diagnostics and repair procedures. In construction, the increased importance of math and technical knowledge on the construction site, and in construction EXHIBIT A