| The Career Advancement
Program |
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| The CDC developed the Career
Advancement Program (CAP) to provide comprehensive assessment,
career counseling, career planning, job training, education, and job
placement, along with support services to the NYC Department
of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Section 8 recipients
who voluntarily enroll in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program
(FSS). |
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| A national Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
initiative, the mission of the FSS Program is to
assist households receiving Section 8 subsidies to
become economically independent. The FSS Program
offers participants the opportunity to accumulate substantial savings
that result from earnings increases. An escrow saving account is created
and is awarded to participants upon successful graduation from the
program. The participants are also are eligible for the
HomeFirst Down Payment Program that assists them in the purchase
of real estate. The HomeFirst program provides qualified homebuyers
with a $10,000 forgivable loan to use toward the down payment or closing
costs on a new home. |
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| The HPD/FSS Career Advancement Program
begins with a career counseling process. The counselor and participant
develop a career plan by clarifying the client's long-term occupational
goal and assessing the client's current educational and career status.
All the career and personal services required to achieve those goals
are then coordinated, such as, case management, training services,
referral to education and training programs, job search tools, and
job placement. |
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| CAP provides customized Adult Basic
Education or Vocational Training Classes to clients at LaGuardia's
Workforce
Education Program. Clients are also referred to classes in their
community. If clients want to attend college, they receive advisement,
assistance with the college application, and assistance with the financial
aid process from our College
Prep Program. After job search preparation, appropriate
job opportunities are identified by the program's Employment Specialists
and interviews are scheduled. In addition, CAP has partnered with
two community based organizations to provide some of the case management
services, the Church Avenue Merchants' Block Association (CAMBA)
and the Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB). |
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| Participation in this comprehensive Career
Advancement Program (CAP) results in career advancement for
employed, unemployed participants, and individuals receiving public
assistance. Clients have been gaining self-sufficiency through career
development services and employment. Last graduation 137 participants
achieved at least one of their goals of finding employment or completing
an educational goal. Since January 2003 we have found 135
participants new and better jobs. |
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| View
our Last Recognition Ceremony |
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| Listen
to Interviews with Clients |
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| Listen
to an interview with a recent Graduate of the Family Self-Sufficiency
Program |
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| OUR PARTICIPANTS' ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
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| • Employments rates for all participants
who were referred to employers are high and have continued to improve.
For the third year of the program the employment rate was 92%, while
the three-year average is 72%. |
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| • Over three years, active participation
has resulted in 152 new jobs obtained by 123 participants, 25% who
were unemployed at the onset 75% who acquired an increase in salary
through better paying employment. |
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| • The average salary of new participants
was $6,850. The average of the salaries for participants with new
employment was $16,995. The salaries obtained ranged from $5850 for
a part time job to $38,984 for a full-time job. The average difference
in annual salary was $10,095 for participants with new employment.
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| • The interest in training has resulted
in 68 participants completing training and 79% participants (54) subsequently
finding appropriate employment. |
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| • Over the three years, a total of 46 participants
started Adult Basic Education and ESL programs. Approximately 16 have
completed at least one semester. |
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| • Over the three years, a total of 37 participants
started college. Approximately 33 have completed at least one semester.
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