Employability & Career Exploration Training (ECET)

What ECET is about…

The goal of the employment and training program will be to create a non-traditional alternative avenue for low income working able adults.

Goals and Objectives…

• The goal of the employment and training program will be to create a nontraditional alternative avenue for low income working able adults.
• The approach will be a people-based rather than an industry-based assessment and program model into practice that support and enhance existing workforce development efforts by assessing the technical and personal skills of consumers.
• Identifying training support to fill gaps which restrict job advancement.
• Assisting individual consumers to access a career ladder with a specific employer or industry through the application of enhanced employment skills and realistic workforce knowledge.
• Financial assistance to outside resource training!

Other Services offered:

• Checks and Balances
• Throughout all components of the training to inspire individual growth and potential
• Our primary target group are low-income with special emphasis on females
• Pre-employment training
• Training offered by secondary educational institutions
• On-the-job training with an employer commitment to hire
• Strategic measures will be taken to ensure
• The program is built on continuous education
• Women's support group with successful women
• Job placement for those who are hardest to place
• On the job training
• Legal assistance available
• Counseling resources available also

Life Skills Coaching/Training

Life Skills training is a balancing of Work and Family. With life skills we mean motives and skills that contribute to a self-empowered and fulfilled life rather than work skills or techniques that follow outer demands, survival needs or negative programming. As adults, we can take charge of our life and develop and maintain new life skills that can enrich our life and support in becoming more and more empowered, healthy and fulfilled.

Within the courses we cover a broad spectrum of topics that are tailor made to suit each participants needs. Such issues include:

• Self-Esteem and Appropriate Assertiveness
• Participants will learn how to become self-advocates while learning how to navigate through various social service and government systems.
• Absenteeism and Punctuality
• Here participants learn the importance of being consistent in showing up for work and being on time and the consequences of excessive absences and tardiness.
• Exercise and Nutrition
• Participants gain a better understanding about nutrition and food choices, how to plan meals and shop for groceries; learning the do's and don'ts of healthy eating and the basics of taking care of one's physical body. Participants also take part in an actual exercise class with the African American Health Coalition.
• Conflict Management/Decision Making/Problem Solving
• Participants learn how collaboration between feuding parties can be a real "win-win" way to settle conflicts. Mutual respect, active listening, oral expression, critical thinking, assertiveness, teamwork and sending "I-Messages" are encouraged as ways to improve communication. They learn "how" conflicts are handled that makes them a destructive episode or a positive experience.
• Educating Parents on How to Advocate for their Child: Pathways to Parent Leadership:
• The curriculum: The home, motivation, and self-esteem; communication and discipline; drugs, gangs, school, and community; how the school system functions; and college and career choices. Our parents will gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence by participating in programs that train parents to be leaders in their children's lives, in school and communities, and in the political process. Participants learn to manage and make sense of money; how to build a personal budget through basic check writing/balancing and budgeting for rent, utilities, food, clothing, transportation, entertainment, college, etc.
• A Job to A Career Transition
• This helps prepare participants for the job market and learning to identify their personal qualities and practical skills, identify the realities of the working world, earn money, explore job skills, find work, contact employers, set up job interviews, make a good first impression, use a resume and cover letter, and follow up after their interview. Step-by-step guidance is given in job search skills with a positive message about developing a winning attitude. Important topics include why people work, realistic salary expectations, and the physical and personal skills sought by employers
• Financial Planning
• Participants learn to manage and make sense of money; how to build a personal budget through basic check writing/balancing and budgeting for rent, utilities, food, clothing, transportation, entertainment, college, etc.

During the course of the training participants will receive ongoing case management and support services using the "strength-based" case management model. Upon completion all graduates will be equipped with a Professional Employment Portfolio.

Mentorship & Support

Surviving Change and Brister & Associates will implement a mentorship and support program as a support to training to add an element of reality to its teaching. The mentorship program will have an emphasis on women. Professional women from a variety of careers will be one on one mentor sharing their techniques in balancing work and family, self empowerment, etc Field trip to professional and social events will be part of the curriculum.

Civic Responsibility Training - Information about the public and government process; How government operates, local, state, tax system, education system and public subsidies-Specific Guest speakers from those areas of government and class experience tours to school board meetings or city council hearings addressing issues of concern. How they fit into the scheme of things, preserving the environment, what their civic responsibility is such as voting and being involved in things that support community growth and the choices they have to make. How they can contribute as an individual sitting on a board or a commission for something they feel strongly about. Define their specific niche as an individual, as a citizen, as an employee, as a parent, or as a business owner or other. Identify barriers and obstacles to that success including health issues, personal self worth and Identify a personal and professional network and resources to help them succeed; Evaluate what they personally consider to be successful outcomes.