Workforce Strategy Center

SITE SELECTION AND OVERVIEW
WSC selected four promising programs that meet the bridge program definition as articulated above to feature in this report.

The following criteria were used to choose among its list of 515 program sites—with special care taken to ensure a geographic, demographic, and programmatic balance among the sites. Priority was also given to relative newcomers in the workforce development field. That said, none of these up-and-coming bridge programs would have been possible without the long-standing success of such initiatives as Capital Idea, Project Quest, Instituto del Progreso Latino’s Carerras en Salud, and, of course, I-BEST.

• Target population. Programs that serve low-wealth adults, including those with limited English proficiency, low educational attainment, single heads of household, and/or people of color.
• Industry sectors. Programs that provide training in industry sectors or occupations that mirror those available in the regions where they are located.
• Employer involvement. Programs in which employers play a role in program development and implementation.
• Program elements. Programs that offer students a comprehensive set of services from contextualized instruction to academic advising to job and college placement.
• Hands-on experience. Programs that incorporate learning-by-doing through projects, simulations or labs, and internships or other work experiences.
• Data collection. Programs that track completion and retention, job placement, and enrollment rates for subsequent education or training in the target field.
• Measurable outcomes. Programs that can show improvement in educational attainment, attachment to the workforce, and earnings (as appropriate) for their students.

Center for Community Action

The Center for Community Action (CCA) [See case study] delivers the Women’s Economic Equity (WEE) Project career pathways program across Robeson County, North Carolina. The distinctive feature of WEE is that it focuses on helping women overcome the unique challenges presented by the combination of endemic local poverty, the shortage of professional opportunities, and a social culture that fails to provide the unemployed with the personal tools to break into the workforce. The WEE Project enables participants to obtain the education, skills, and supports needed to enter and advance in the field of healthcare or education with the goal of progressing in a career and attaining a sustainable living income standard.

CCA focuses primarily on low-income women in this predominantly rural county—one of the poorest in the United States. Many attendees have never received the kind of emotional and moral support needed to overcome the psychological barriers to joining the workforce. Designed to bridge participants to one of five area community colleges to obtain a certificate, licensure, or degree, the program’s core centers on support services that enable the women to overcome the challenges that define their lives and, for many, their hopelessness.

Tasha Jones
In 2010, Tasha Jones joined the Women’s Economic Equity (WEE) Project of the Center for Community Action. As program participant, she attended Robeson Community College and became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). The program provided individual coaching, peer support, mentoring, and a scholarship to attend Robeson Community College. By year’s end, she was hired at Golden Living Center, an assisted living facility in Lumberton, North Carolina.

When she first joined WEE, Tasha had suffered substance abuse, homelessness, and the loss of her best friend. She saw little future for herself, barely getting by mowing grass in 100 degree heat. In fact, she did not even intend to enroll in CCA’s program when she accompanied a friend to a meeting. But as she progressed through the program, she not only took the steps toward building a career in healthcare but also found her sense of self and her voice. She uses this voice to write poetry recounting her journey and has added stability to her life by adopting the son of a drug-addicted mother. “It is just what I was brought here to do,” she says of her new life, which she credits the CCA program for helping her build.

Tasha plans to acquire her CNAII certification, become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and eventually become a Registered Nurse. “Without the program, honestly I probably would have never gotten here,” she says. “It probably would have been another goal put on that back burner.”

Voices in Action: Hear CCA graduate Tasha Jones

Richard J. Daley College and Central States SER

Chicago’s Richard J. Daley College and Central States SER [See case study] offer the Healthcare Careers Bridge Program. The program excels at keeping adults who are jobless motivated, especially when faced with new types of workplaces and employment. The program—which includes a pre-bridge, medical career bridge, connection to a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certificate, and further training in nursing or allied health—seeks to move individuals out of poverty through earning credentials, enabling participants to obtain career path employment and earn a living wage. Target participants are unemployed, with many chronically unemployed or living in extreme poverty.

Serving Chicago’s South Side residents, most of the individuals who enter the program have between a 6th and 9th grade education. As a result, they are not prepared for the training required for such entry-level positions as CNA. Before enrolling in the program, participants view themselves as being outside the workforce with no way of getting in. They more often feel fear and helplessness because they are unfamiliar with how to get a job. While the program does provide emotional support, its defining characteristic is the reinforcement of basic education and continued encouragement of students who repeatedly fail to meet expected norms of professional behavior simply because they never learned what those were.

Lasheek Hawkins
Before entering the Healthcare Careers Bridge Program, Lasheek Hawkins was a stay-at-home mom raising two kids. Living in public housing—which required residents to be in a work, education, training, or volunteer position for 30 hours a week—Lasheek knew she needed direction.

One day in April 2010, someone walked past her door with a flier about the program. Lasheek was interested in allied health, but wasn’t sure the program was for her. But over time she and her peers learned how the curriculum could give them the information they needed to formulate career goals and help them pass the CNA. And through their concern, compassion, love, and support, program staff inspired and motivated Lasheek to succeed in the program.

Since enrolling in the Healthcare Careers Bridge Program in August 2010, Lasheek has earned her GED, become a CNA, and entered right into a Patient Care Technician program. She is taking a phlebotomy course and studying for her certification. Her next step: prepare for her LPN, where she will earn college credit.

Lasheek’s advice to other program providers? Stay compassionate, get deeply involved with participants, be as much of a mentor as possible, and congratulate participants on a job well done.

Central Piedmont Community College

Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) [See case study] manages the HVAC Pathways to Employment (Pathways) to prepare students in and around Charlotte, North Carolina, as entry-level heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technicians. The program includes a pre-bridge, certification bridge, and other stackable credentials designed to lead to additional education and training.

The students are largely male and African American. Participants range from workers in declining industries to aging workers having a harder time with manual labor to those having difficulty finding a “career” because of criminal histories.

While ages varied, most were over 40. All were united by a sense that the CPCC program was giving them a last chance. They were not about to give up on building careers for themselves and they refused to be ushered out of meaningful employment. They also shared both the desire to work as they grew older and the regret that they hadn’t made the most of opportunities, including the GI bill, when they were younger.

One defining characteristic of the program is the “boys’ club” participants created as their own support system. This allowed the program to focus on skills training, which participants approached with the very determination they lacked when they were younger.

Kenneth Briggs
Kenneth Briggs wanted a job where he could work with his hands. And he’d always dreamed of working in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning industry. He shared these goals when he first applied to the Pathways to Employment Program in 2009.

Before Pathways, Kenneth had worked various jobs from staffing agencies to blue-collar positions, but he wanted a more stable career, especially in uncertain economic times. Briggs excelled at Pathways. While pursuing his HVAC certificate, he had perfect attendance and even served as a mentor for younger students in the class.

His hard work paid off. Today, Kenneth works construction with a Charlotte, North Carolina, company called Affordable Insulation—a job he began the day of Pathways graduation. Since then, he has been promoted to field assistant supervisor and helps train temporary workers. His plans now are to move into a more permanent house and buy a truck so he can develop an independent business.

“If it had not been for the program where I was trained in an industry where there is a need, I would probably be homeless,” Kenneth says. “Becoming re-trained has given me a positive outlook on life again.”

Voices in Action: CPCC HVAC graduate Kenneth Briggs

Lutheran Family Health Centers

Lutheran Family Health Centers (LFHC) [See case study] operates the four-month Bridge to Health Careers program in Brooklyn, New York, to prepare immigrants to the United States for entry-level, career-track jobs in hospitals, health centers, nursing homes, and doctor’s offices. Participants—who train for the National Healthcare Association certification exam as part of the program—are typically underprepared for a healthcare career due to lack of English language skills or knowledge of the healthcare industry. Some have lost their jobs due to the recession.

A unique feature of this program is that it is designed to serve culturally diverse immigrant students. As such, LFHC’s students face many hurdles beyond the specific CNA training.

Located in Sunset Park, which has been the entry point to America for generations of immigrants, the program’s greatest challenge comes in delivering a cohesive program to students who represent a melting pot of so many cultural backgrounds. In the class visited, approximately a dozen nations were represented. Adding to the complexity is the varied educational backgrounds of the students—ranging from pre-high school through advanced degrees. Consequently, a core aspect of the program is to bridge these cultural and educational divides. The program serves almost as a citizenship class with language, workplace, and cultural training weaved into the CNA curriculum. As immigrants, participants have an uplifting perspective of the program as their entry point to the American Dream, rather than a last chance not to be left behind.

Yenny Sugianto
Yenny Sugianto enrolled in LFHC’s Bridge to Health Careers (Bridge) after completing ESOL and Basic Education classes. She still needed her GED, but her strong scores at Bridge registration encouraged the staff to take a chance on her ability to complete both programs simultaneously. She didn’t disappoint.

Yenny moved through both programs with a determination and patience that impressed her instructors and classmates alike, passing the GED exam on her first attempt. Her performance in CNA class was equally impressive. She became a kind of steward for the cohort: staying connected with classmates, keeping the class motivated, and troubleshooting difficulties. When staff members were concerned about arranging transportation to bring students to clinical training, Yenny devised a cost-sharing carpool plan.

After passing her certification exam, Yenny landed a job with Lutheran Medical Center. Even then, she kept the program in mind, introducing the nurse recruiter who hired her to Bridge staff, talking up the value of her training, and encouraging the recruiter to consider Bridge grads for future staffing needs. Indeed, Yenny’s faith in Bridge helped strengthen one of the program’s strongest employer referral relationships.

In her first 16 months of employment, Yenny took advantage of union educational opportunities, as well. Her hard work has paid off: She’s been promoted twice, first to senior nursing assistant and more recently to cardiac monitor technician.

Beyond her educational and employment goals, Yenny has also navigated the complex immigration process—making it possible to bring her child to this country. Through it all, her quiet, calm determination remains an exemplary force.

“First as a housewife, when I stay at home, I feel like I'm useless. … But now … they help me with this … step by step until I became who I am now.”

Voices in Action: Hear LFHC’s Bridge to Health Careers graduate Yenny Sugianto

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