SANTA ANA WORK CENTER STEM YOUTH PROGRAM 2 - 2017

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RSCCD instructors, and their work experience supervisor. For those youth in need of more comprehensive guidance and counseling beyond the scope of the program, referrals will be provided to connect them with the help they need. While enrolled in the program, youth will receive supportive services as- needed and once they have completed the. program, staff provide follow-up for 12 months as appropriate to provide retention, supportive services-.as well as resources to ensure successful outcomes. The planned outcomes for the Program include 100% Customer Service certificate attainment for all participants. Rancho Santiago Community College District's Customer Service certificate provides instruction in the following areas: attitude in the workplace, communication with people, conflict management, decision snaking & problem solving, managing change, stress management, team building, time management, and values & ethics. Of those youth that are basic skills deficient, 40% will increase their basic skills deficiency through tutoring referrals, financial literacy activities and writing & reading exercises. These additional areas of instruction are embedded into the program. Placement in education and/or employment will be accomplished upon program completion as youth enroll into an education program pursuing a STEM career and/or employed in a STEM occupation. B. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The STEM Career Program developed by the Santa Ana WORK Center in partnership with the Rancho Santiago Community College District plans to enroll 20 low-income youth between the ages of 17 and 21 years of age. Of the 20 WIA eligible youth, 15 will be in-school youth 17-21 years old, and five will be out-of-school youth also between the ages of 17-21. Over the course of 12 months, the SAWC's goal is to meet with participants at minimum on a monthly basis and if needed weekly to allow the youth to receive the full benefits of the program. The SAWC has always made it a priority to market and bring awareness of our services on a regular basis. Our agency is invited and attends community events at the local high schools, family resource centers, non-profit agencies, Social Service Family & Children's agency, special events for youth with disabilities, and our partnering agencies like Employment Development Department (EDD), Santa Ana College and Social Services. These events and our average monthly traffic of 3,639 at the SAWC put us in contact with many young adults and youth that we can outreach to and provide services. More specifically, our monthly traffic count during the summer, when we have to start recruiting, increases to almost 4,000 compared to 3,000 in the winter. This makes it ideal for us to meet if not exceed our enrollment goal of 75% by the second quarter of the program year. The following provides an outline for the program: Work Readiness Skills (SAWC): The lack of "soft skills" of potential candidates is a major concern of our local business community. That is why our workforce specialists have developed and refined a job readiness classes that will be used to teach program participants the tools to find a job, keep a job, and protect theirs while employed. The skills are taught through workshops on various subject matter including but not limited to Youth labor laws, labor market information, resume writing, interviewing skills, and financial literacy. The SAWC has 30 years of experience providing work readiness skills to adults and youth. Our goal is to fully prepare clients with the most current resources needed to find the best job to help become and stay self-sufficient. Participants will learn to apply the knowledge obtained into the various careers associated with STEM. Work Experience (SAWC): WEX is the planned, structured learning experience that takes place in a workplace for a limited period of time. It is designed to impart specific skill and behavioral competencies. Paid WEX activity should be a maximum of 12 weeks in length. Youth will be placed with a STEM employer that will provide experience and awareness in STEM careers. Depending on educational responsibilities, participant will be allowed to work up to 20 hours a week at $8.50 an hour. For those youth that are in school, flexibility will be allowed in order for them to focus on school first and workforce second. WEX component will begin immediately following the completion of the Customer 2 Exhibit A