SE Works One Stop Career Center Opening Doors, Creating New Futures Annual Report July 2002—June 2003 Accesibilidad Opening Doors Добро Пожаловать Acceso universal Универсальный Доступ UNIVERSAL ACCESS Abriendo puertas SE Works One Stop Career Center 6927 SE Foster Rd. Portland, OR 97206 503-772-2300 A Message from the SE Works Leadership Dear Friends, At the end of this program year (July ‘02 – June ’03), we were well into our seventh year of providing critical employment and training services to southeast Portland neighborhoods. We experienced great success in achieving our core mission, enhancing business and community access to employment resources to improve the economic health of the community. Here are a few of this year’s highlights included in the report: Increased accessibility of services for all customers Interviewed 355 potential job applicants for Standard TV and Appliance, placed 31 in employment, and maintained a 96% job retention rate Completed the development of an industry specific One Stop Career Center at Oregon Health and Sciences University Instituted a new customer tracking program that tallied over 5,500 customer visits Provided a range of services to over 3,330 youth and adult customers These accomplishments are especially impressive in light of the on-going strain created by an increasing demand for service in times of diminishing resources. As with most public and nonprofit entities, we are becoming skilled at finding new sources of inspiration and opportunity. At SE Works, our most valuable resource is the team charged with delivering and directing services. SE Works’ staff demonstrates a level of resiliency and dedication that is unparalleled. Our Board of Directors provides unwavering support and leadership. One Stop partners and volunteers invest time, money, and expertise allowing us to offer the right service mix to our customers. You will find examples of these contributions throughout this report. You will also find several themes in the stories told here – partnership, volunteerism, resiliency, resourcefulness, innovation, customer service, team work, stewardship. The most prevalent theme this past year was increased accessibility. Through a number of projects and partnerships, SE Works invested significant time and energy to ease access to the facility and services for customers who experience disabilities. A welcome by-product of our efforts was increased access for all of SE Works’ customers. We hope you will find the same encouragement and inspiration in this report that we have. Thank you all for your enduring support and commitment. It is an honor to serve this community. Warm regards, Heidi Soderberg Executive Director Jeff Thompson Board Chair NEIGHBORHOOD JOBS CENTER: One Stop Career Center Once again, Neighborhood Jobs Center (NJC) services at SE Works were in high demand as the unemployment rate in Portland continued to grow. This year 1,957 customers used the NJC to conduct job searches and participated in resume writing, interviewing and computer skills workshops. A new customer tracking program revealed that we had over 5,500 customer visits. Jobseekers are experiencing longer periods of unemployment than before and are looking for ways to stand out from the competition. In these tough times, people are continuing to turn to SE Works for resources and support—and encouraging their friends, neighbors and family to come with them. As a designated “One Stop Career Center,” SE Works offers a wide range of employment services. This year we focused on improving our diverse community’s access to these resources. We reorganized the NJC so that resources are easily accessible to individuals. This “self-service” strategy allows staff to provide individualized attention to customers requiring additional supports such as access to training programs or financial assistance (housing, childcare, transportation and work-related clothes and tools). To facilitate easier access in the NJC we: created power-point tutorials purchased career exploration and English as a Second Language (ESL) software added a resume class focused on formatting electronic resumes placed community resource materials on carousels so individuals can easily reach them translated “Job Search Tips” sheets and PowerPoint workshops into Russian and Spanish recruited volunteer staff from the National Council on Aging and SMS Services, who provided a total of 60 hours per week of customer support translated workshop and classroom materials into Braille, with help from Independent Living Resources These modifications increased accessibility for all job seekers and fostered a sense of community among our customers. Instead of turning to staff for help with the computers or deciphering a job description, now they are looking to one another. The Neighborhood Jobs Center—which has always been the core of SE Works—has become the heart of this community resource. HIGHLIGHTS: Number of Job Seekers... Receiving Core Services: 1,957 Enrolled in Intensive Services: 236 In Intensive Services Obtaining Employment: 164 Attending an Information Session: 2,193 Attending Workshops: 1,056 Job seekers receiving Intensive Services found employment with an average wage of $11.10. CUSTOMER PROFILE Irene and Tony Calongy, originally from the Ukraine, found SE Works shortly after their arrival in the U.S. in 2001. Personal Advocate Lorna Fell assisted the couple in preparing resumes and cover letters, and coaching on interview skills. This coaching is particularly important for Russian-speaking customers, since their native cultures typically discourage the type of self-promotion that is essential for job interviews in this country. Tony was trained as a computer system administrator, but he lacked English language proficiency required for the position. After participating in an ESL course, Tony found a job as a CNC machine operator and continues to take classes to improve his English. Increased English skills and concern about potential layoffs are prompting Tony to investigate new career opportunities and reach for enhanced career goals. Irene, who was a nurse in the Ukraine, quickly found employment as a caregiver, but worked with Lorna after being laid off last year. SE Works partnered with Workforce Network, allowing Irene to attend medical terminology classes. She recently went to work as a nursing assistant. Her long-term goal is to pass the Certified Nurse Assistant exam and eventually become a Nurse. “We appreciate the people at SE Works for their support and help in our job search and career planning.” - Tony & Irene Calongy Partnerships: The Center on Self-Determination Over the past two years, the Center on SelfDetermination at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) provided funding, education, and technical assistance to SE Works. This demonstration project was designed to make One Stop services more accessible to customers experiencing disabilities. The Center on Self-Determination (The Center) conducted an evaluation of our office environment and systems. We learned techniques for making SE Works more accessible, such as color-coding the rooms and modifying workshop materials to address a range of learning styles. In addition, SE Works adapted the youth orientation and job search curricula to ensure that young people with disabilities feel welcome and are able to access all of our services. The Center assisted SE Works’ staff to become more proficient in developing individualized employment plans that maximize strengths and skills of youth. Finally, The Center provided a series of monthly staff development trainings on topics such as: Universal Design Learning-Disabilities: A Day in the Life Hearing Impairments Assistive Technology Visual Impairments Mental Health: A Day in the Life Developing Person-Centered Plans Assisting businesses to recruit, retain, and support people experiencing disabilities While we have always maintained a commitment to serving our entire southeast community, this partnership has enabled us to more fully realize this goal. CUSTOMER PROFILE Twenty-year-old Lyudmila Kasimov, who is hearing impaired, came to the U.S. from Russia with her family eleven years ago. Initially, Lyudmila found out about SE Works through her sister, who had been working with Russianspeaking Youth Advocate, Emma Zwaschka. Although Lyudmila’s parents had originally intended for SE Works to assist her with an application to the janitorial company where they both worked, Emma’s experience with the Center on Self-Determination made her realize that Lyudmila’s career options were extensive. After meeting with Lyudmila and learning of her strong interest in cosmetology, we arranged a job shadow experience with a hairdresser, who was also deaf. Encouraged by this experience, Lyudmila decided that she wanted to pursue a degree in cosmetology. Working with staff, she found a school that specialized in individualized training plans. Significant challenges persisted. Lyudmila needed assistance with tuition and sign language interpretation, and her parents needed assurances that she could successfully complete training and find employment. The Oregon Department of Human Services Vocational Rehabilitation Division provided tuition assistance for Lyudmila and hired interpreters to assist Lyudmila throughout her training program. SE Works’ staff met with her family, explained the opportunity and reassured them of her potential for success. With these challenges behind her, Lyudmila enrolled in her training program and eventually passed the boards with a score of 95%! She is currently working as an esthetician with Salon Dirk, a teaching salon that will encourage her on-going professional development. Thanks to coordinated support, and faith invested in her by a host of community organizations and her family, Lyudmila is pursuing her dream. Partnerships : OHSU / AFSCME Career Development Center This year marked the end of a two year project with the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 328 to create a Career Development Center on the hospital campus. Thanks to grant support from the Oregon Workforce Investment Board, SE Works’ staff assisted with development and set-up of the career center. The goal of the center is to provide career advancement opportunities to entrylevel workers at OHSU. SE Works conducted a research project that investigated the various career opportunities at OHSU and charted the skills and training needed for these positions. We identified area universities and colleges that offered required training. This information was compiled on a website so that employees can develop plans for career advancement. Other career center resources included: self-service tutorials on job search and retention a series of professional development workshops coaching on behavioral interviewing techniques The success of the career center resulted in a commitment by OHSU to fund the center after the grant ended. Additionally, this innovative partnership continues to have a positive impact on SE Works. The accumulated knowledge among staff about the healthcare field proves to be valuable as we assist customers considering careers in this industry. SE Works also places youth in 5week internships at the OHSU Career Center, where they develop office, computer, and customer service skills. “[The Career Center is] a really excellent program, and the personnel there are always more than helpful. I think the whole thing was very carefully devised and organized, and I would like to recommend it to everyone interested in enhancing her or his skills.” - OHSU employee participant HIGHLIGHTS 654 individuals participated in employment, computer, or communication based trainings offered through the Center. Of those individuals, 121 chose to attend three or more classes. 65 of the participating employees were promoted to new jobs. Average Wage Increase: 11% BUSINESS SERVICES SE Works’ Business Services team has made great strides in the past year. The relationships we develop with employers are crucial to our success, enabling us to connect employers and job seekers. We provide valuable resources for our business customers by: conducting job fairs; recruiting and pre-screening job applicants; assisting with employee retention; supplying feedback on company policies; and, providing employees with the supports and training programs they need to excel in their jobs. In short, we offer businesses access to a qualified workforce and services that ensure successful job retention. “It has been two years since we initiated a program to pre-screen job applicants for our delivery, warehouse and sales support positions. Since partnering with SE Works, we have experienced significant improvement in many aspects of human resource management: Reduced turnover, safety training time and costly errors, Reduced safety incidents and insurance premiums, Overall improved performance from newly hired employees. SE Works has also made a difference in the lives of many of our employees. They have provided training in ESL, computer skills, and general literacy, improving job performance while enriching personal lives. We look forward to working with the great team at SE Works for many years to come.” HIGHLIGHTS SE Works hosted a job fair for Gunderson, which attracted 450 job seekers. Our staff pre-screened each applicant using Gunderson’s math test, written welding exam, and mechanical test. Gunderson staff conducted on-site interviews and hired many of the candidates. In partnership with Workforce Connections, SE Works recruited and screened candidates to fill 23 open positions at LSI Logic. SE Works staff conducted behavioral interviewing workshops for CAPECO, the Pendleton One Stop, and at the Oregon Employment and Training Association Conference. SE Works hosted mini-job fairs for the following companies: AT & T Wireless, HMS Host, Foster Farms, PERS, Pinkerton and UPS. Jerry Frentress Corporate Controller and HR Manager Standard TV and Appliance CUSTOMER PROFILE Travis Cady was placed at Standard through a temporary staffing service and was an excellent employee. However, Standard could not hire him because he did not have the basic skills he needed to pass a standardized assessment required of all fulltime employees. Standard asked SE Works to assist Travis to increase his skills. Three times a week Travis attended tutoring sessions with Brian Obog, Youth Development Specialist. After two months of dedicated work, Travis successfully passed the exam and was hired to a full-time regular position at Standard TV & Appliance. “Since establishing the partnership with SE Works, the time I have had to spend interviewing applicants has decreased dramatically. In addition, the quality of the applicants coming to me has improved. The assessment process and the testing are providing to be a positive part of the screening process.” - Bill Delestatious, Delivery Manager YOUTH PROGRAMS Young people can take advantage of three levels of service, depending upon their individual needs: Core Services — Youth seeking employment can use the One Stop Career Center and receive job-search assistance from Youth Advocates. 1,375 youth came to SE Works to find jobs SE Works youth study for the GED test in the youth wing. At SE Works, we attract youth who are exploring career and life options, and planning for their futures. With them they bring a wide variety of life experiences, skills, interests, and challenges. We aim to assist all young people in identifying and maximizing their strengths and creating plans for their futures. Our partnership with the Center on SelfDetermination at OHSU expanded our capacity for accomplishing this goal. The project focused on increasing accessibility for people experiencing disabilities. However, the changes we made helped us improve our services for all young people. For example, we integrated creative teaching methods into our orientation and training programs to address different learning styles. This benefits every student, regardless of ability or learning style. In addition, the project helped us improve our services by incorporating a “person-centered” approach. We redesigned the career exploration and planning process that began with the youth completing a “self-assessment form.” Now, youth invite their family and friends to a session at SE Works where they share their perspectives about the young person’s strengths and talents. Because of this process, youth say they learn more about themselves and are able to make better career and education plans. Since no two people are exactly alike, our programs must adapt to meet different needs. Youth Employment Program (YEP)—, Through this program, young people attend workshops focused on job seeking and retention skills. Staff assist them in finding internships or employment and provide ongoing support to ensure they are successful in their positions. 372 youth enrolled in YEP. Of those... 248 found employment 260 participated job readiness training Intensive Services— Finally, young people needing specialized attention work directly with staff. In addition to advocating for the youth, case managers also provide career counseling, guidance, and assistance making life choices. Also, the youth may participate in GED or basic skills classes, and attend support groups (the Eastern European Youth Group, the Young Men’s Empowerment Group and the Young Women’s Empowerment Group). 70 youth enrolled in Intensive Services. Of those... 16 earned a GED or diploma 4 entered post-secondary ed 28 found employment By fostering an environment in which people can be themselves, we have created a space that empowers young people to reach for their goals. Partnerships: Portland Community College Last summer SE Works hosted a graduation ceremony and celebration for GED graduates and their families GED Classes at SE Works Last year, Portland Community College (PCC) offered four sessions of the ten-week (120-hour) GED class at SE Works. Each day an average of fifteen young people gathered in our classroom to study reading, writing, math, science and social studies. Skilled instructors made these topics meaningful to students who may not have experienced success in traditional education environments. Approximately half of those young people also received intensive services from SE Works’ staff, assisting them as they addressed a range of educational, career, or life challenges. GED graduates entering PCC receive free tuition during their first college term, enabling them to use the momentum of their success for continuing education. They are also eligible for PCC’s “College Bound” program, which waives tuition while students complete their high school diplomas. Many of the credits earned through the College Bound program are also applied toward a college degree. Keynote speaker Dr. Nan Poppe, from PCC, speaks with SE Works staff, Heidi Soderberg and Brian Obog. The project owes its success to a team of dedicated people. John Matthews, Resource Specialist at PCC, was instrumental in creating this partnership, which is now in its sixth year. His commitment continues. Each week he instructs the life skills component of the GED class. Karl Steady is in his second year of teaching the GED program. Students respond well to Karl’s structured environment and clear teaching style. Since he’s been on board, retention has increased significantly and graduation rates have risen. Two longtime volunteers, Zack Grant and Dave Stegemeyer, tutor students two days each week. Collectively, they have contributed hundreds of volunteer hours. This partnership gives youth an opportunity to complete their GEDs in a supportive, community based setting. By combining the resources from PCC and SE Works, we have enabled students to succeed in education and progress toward career goals. Partnerships: Portland State University Capstone Program Another group of Capstone students researched employers’ current hiring practices and trends with the limitedEnglish speaking population. The students interviewed 180 employers in five industries (manufacturing, warehousing, hospitality, health care, janitorial) to identify the major challenges facing these workers. Key findings of this project included: Now in its second year, the partnership with the Capstone Program at Portland State University (PSU) continues to evolve. Initially, the program began as a way to provide individualized English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction to our customers who were unable to attend ESL classes. PSU Capstone students were paired with primarily Spanish- and Russian-speaking customers to assist them in acquiring language skills. Students volunteered 1,080 hours at SE Works, tutoring English language learners. Our customers tell us that these sessions make them feel confident in expressing themselves to their coworkers and employers. In addition, these fantastic students have taken on several major projects on behalf of SE Works. For instance, one group of students created a multi-media project for the OHSU Career Center. They modified the SE Works Behavioral Interviewing self-paced tutorial program to accommodate limitedEnglish speakers. Using their technical skills, they integrated a translation dictionary so the reader can translate words into Russian and Spanish. They also added movies to the tutorial, demonstrating positive and negative interviewing techniques. 80% hire limited-English speakers 73% of the jobs require basic or fluent English 60% identified communication as the major challenge in hiring and retaining limited-English speakers 83% provide applications only in English 26% offer communication classes, but only 1 in 10 employers offer the class materials in second languages. Students presented their results to approximately 50 workforce development practitioners. SE Works and partner organizations will use the data as we develop new programs and strategies for working with business customers. SE Works is grateful to Portland State University and the Capstone students for their important contributions to the community. HIGHLIGHTS 120 Capstone Students dedicated 2,400 hours to different projects and provided 1,080 hours of one-to-one ESL Tutoring. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Statement of Activities Year Ended June 30, 2003 Statement of Financial Position As of June 30, 2003 Support and Revenue: Government grants and contracts Foundation grants Donations Resource sharing income Interest Unrealized gain on investment Other revenue Total support and revenue Expenses: Program Services-Neighborhood Jobs Center Advocacy/ Training Youth Services Business Services Total program services 1,040,710.00 34,500.00 18,001.00 11,688.00 70.00 156.00 18,241.00 1,123,366.00 243,321.00 307,745.00 340,113.00 132,725.00 1,023,904.00 Support Services-Management and general Fund-raising Total support services 40,949.00 4,298.00 45,247.00 Total Expenses Assets Cash Investments Accounts receivable Prepaid expenses Property and equipment Total assets ---$ 4,031.00 $145,268.00 $ 3,878.00 $220,484.00 $373,661.00 Liabilities and Net Assets Liabilities: Cash overdraft Accounts payable Accrued vacation Deferred revenue Notes payable Total liabilities $ 8,105.00 $ 27,685.00 $ 23,562.00 ---$ 66,112.00 $125,464.00 Net assets: Unrestricted: Investment in property and equipment Undesignated Total unrestricted $146,872.00 $ 93,825.00 $240,697.00 Temporarily restricted Total net assets $ 7,500.00 $248,197.00 Total liabilities and net assets $373,661.00 1,069,151.00 Increase (decrease) in net assets Net assets at beginning of year Net assets at end of year 54,215.00 193,982.00 248,197.00 Expenses Business Services 12% Youth Services 32% Management and General Fund-Raising .4% 4% Neighborhood Jobs Center 23% Advocacy and Training 29% SPECIAL THANKS The following businesses contributed to SE Works Fundraising events in 2002-2003. We thank them for their generosity. Al-Amir Amazing Maids Applebees Azteca Mexican Restaurant Benihana Besaws BI-Mart Blazers Blinki & Duprey Bluehour Bridgetown Coffee Buy Right Outlets Cash & Carry Castagna Restaurant Chevy’s Fresh Mex Coffee People Columbia Sportswear CMTS DoubleTree Hotel DoubleTree Hotel Downtown Edmund Keene Photographers Embassy Suites Escential Lotions & Oils Evergreen Aviation Museum Fernando's Hideaway Gold Door Gunderson Hawthorne Auto Clinic Inc. Heathman Hotel Hoffman, Steward & Schmidt Holiday Inn Inn @ Northrup Station Iron Horse Restaurant Jake's Grill Jesse Wornum Insurance LA-Z-BOY Leatherman Tool Group LSI Logic Marketek McFarlane's Bark Monarch Hotel Mt. Hood Hamlet Bed & Breakfast Mt. Hood Railroad Naked City Nike Nomad Crossing Oaks Park OMSI One With Heart Oregon Ballet Theatre Oregon Children's Theatre Oregon Symphony Oregon Zoo PacificCoast Restaurants-Newport Bay PICA Portland Brewing Company Portland Center Spa Portland Center Stage Portland Family Entertainment, LP Portland Spirit Portland Trailblazers Portland WinterHawks Raddison Portland Airport Red Eagle Gallery Regence Blue Cross/ Blue Shield Reverb Rose City Massage Therapy Rose City Tattoo Sala SPA SASSE Spirit Mountain Casino Standard TV & Appliance Sternwheeler Rose Stonebridge Custom Homes The Cats Meow The Clinkerbrick House The Grotto The Hawthorne Coffee Merchant The Old Spaghetti Factory Thrifty Car Rental Timberline Lodge Twist Typhoon Uncle Zach's Uncommon Treasures Inc. Valley Lanes Waterstone Gallery Wild Abandon Restaurant Willamette Valley Vineyards “There are a lot of resources here. And even though SE Works is getting busier, you never feel as though you’re being rushed. The staff will give you advice and the other customers are very friendly and helpful. It’s good to be around supportive people who understand how challenging unemployment is.” - Denis Bodeman, SE Works Customer Some regional employers who hired SE Works’ job seekers: Albertson’s Grocery All Coast Construction American Express Bodystun Metal Works Brooklyn Hardware Cascade Terrace Retirement Home Center for Chiropractic Medicine City Club of Portland Columbia River Mental Health Svs. Confederated Tribes of Siletz Copytronix Duck Delivery Dupont Engineering Eastmoreland Hospital Foster Farms Franciscan Montessori Freres Lumber Fujicolor Processing Gresham Internal Medicine Clinic Gunderson Inc. H. Naito Properties HMS Host Home Depot Internal Revenue Service International Remodelers and Builders Jiffy Lube Kaiser Permanente LiveBridge LSI Logic Mastergast Furniture, Inc. Nayden Heating and AirConditioning Oak Unlimited OHSU Oregon Tile and Marble PCC Workforce Network PERS Providence St. Vincent Medical Ctr. Safeway (82nd & Foster) St. John’s Honda Standard Insurance Standard TV & Appliance Sulzer Pumps Sunset Fuel UPS US Army US Post Office WaferTech Wells Fargo WW Metal Fab SPECIAL THANKS STAFF Yvette Allen Sue Eastman Lorna Fell Brian Ingram Brandi Hayward Annette Johnston Milele Landrum Duane McKinney Robert Moore BOARD MEMBERS Brian Obog Andrew Reed Laura Recko Heidi Soderberg Kenny Sparks Anne Sweet Deborah Velardi Jessica Wornum Emma Zwaschka ONE STOP PARTNERS Susan Howard , Vocational Rehabilitation Charles Lawrence, Job Corps Clover Mow, Center on Self-Determination Diane Soucie, SMS Services Linda Tetzloff, Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services Walter Yerkes, Job Corps Key Funders in 2002—2003 City of Portland, Bureau of Housing and Community Development Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development Mt. Hood Community College, Food Stamp and Ex-Offender Employment Services Multnomah County OHSU: Center on SelfDetermination Vanguard Youth Services worksystems, inc. Youth Employment Partnership Jeff Thompson, Board Chair Oregon Center for Public Policy Mitchell Cogen, Vice Chair Bullard, Smith, Jernstedt, Harnish Attorneys-at-Law Anne Valsamakis, Secretary IRCO Joyce Walls, Treasurer SE Uplift Neighborhood Program Marcus Branch Services for Humanity Nancy Chapin The Support Group, Resident Gabrielle Duffus Resident Roberta Krogman Resident Yvonne McClain CMTS Mike McLaughlin Resident Karla O’Dell Resident Lynnae Ruttledge Northwest ADA/IT Center (OHSU) Glenn Shuck Labors Community Service Kathy Stromvig Portland Public Schools Marc Swanson Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Denise Walton LSI Logic The mission of SE Works is to increase the economic health and well being of our diverse Southeast neighborhoods by enhancing business and community access to employment resources. SE Works One Stop Career Center 6927 SE Foster Rd. Portland, OR 97206