Employment

1. Breaking Barriers/Pre-Employment Strategies
The first class consisting of six members graduated from the Breaking Barriers/Pre-Employment Strategies pilot program on June 1, 2009. This class offers ex-offenders the opportunity to learn basic soft skills, computer basics, the essentials of workplace success, take the Career Readiness Certificate and also have the opportunity to complete mock interviews and speak with a panel of human resource professionals. Upon completion of the class, two of the graduates had full time employment.

2. CPPC – Community Partnership for Protecting Children:
http://www.dhs.iowa.gov/cppc/index.html
The Community Partnerships for Protecting Children (CPPC) approach aims to keep children safe from abuse and neglect and to support families. This approach recognizes that keeping children safe is everybody's business and that community members must be offered opportunities to help vulnerable families and shape the services and supports provided.

In Iowa, Community Partnerships have brought together parents, youth, social service professionals, faith ministries, local business, schools and caring neighbors to help design, govern and participate in programs that seek to create a continuum of care and support for children, youth and parents in their neighborhoods.

3. Future Talk
Future Talk is a summer youth employment program providing approximately fourteen youth each summer the opportunity to work. This is the second year of the program led through the Multicultural Family Center and this year has incorporated financial literacy provided through DuTrac Community Credit Union. The Community Foundation is also providing the participants with the opportunity to have their savings matched up to $108.00 if they open a savings account.

4. Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World
Getting Ahead is a program designed for people in poverty to help them understand the hidden rules of middle class, as well as the communication, values, and expectations used in order to bridge the gap between the two classes. Participants are exposed to the Bridges out of Poverty concept based on Ruby Payne and Phillip DeVol’s research on poverty.

Classes are two hours long, meet on a weekly basis and as of June 1, 2009 there are forty-three participants, the largest group yet.

5. IowaWorks One-Stop-Shop:
http://www.iowaworks.org/
IowaWorks has created a One-Stop-Shop that serves as a resource for both employers and job seekers. It provides an opportunity for employers to post job listings for free and job seekers are able to look for openings through the website. It is located at Iowa Workforce Development where there is equipment available for job seekers to find available employment.

6. Road to Success
This annual event creates the opportunity for those in the community who are unemployed and underemployed to gain experience with interview preparation, interview skills through mock interviews as well as assistance with resumes, job applications and the opportunity to talk with employers at the career expo.

This year the event took place on June 10, 2009 from 3:00-7:00pm at Prescott Elementary School. There were over seventy community volunteers who contributed their time and talents and there were over sixty participants who completed resumes, mock interviews, job applications and also received free clothing. This year’s Road to Success had more participation than ever by both clients and volunteers helping to make it the most successful one yet!

This year’s event was organized by the City of Dubuque’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program and the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.

7. Summer Youth Employment
East Central Intergovernmental Agency has enrolled forty youth for the Summer Youth Employment program. All participants completed financial literacy provided through DuTrac Community Credit Union. All youth received the opportunity to open a savings account, encouraging them to save the money they earn and based on their savings at the end of the program, the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque will match up to $100.00 dollars.

The National Dollar Wi$e campaign is being used to promote the importance of establishing a savings goal, introducing youth to savings accounts and teach them what to do with their paycheck and smart spending.
http://www.ecia.org/aboutus/index.html

To learn more about Project HOPE contact:
Alyssa Hauser
Project HOPE Coordinator
email: alyssa@dbqfoundation.org
phone: 563.588.2700