PROJECT QUEST INC

Program: Project QUEST

Program Description:

The City of San Antonio, the seventh largest city in the country, and its surrounding area has a large population of under-educated, under-skilled adults who lack the resources and support system necessary to obtain a marketable skill. Per the U. S. Census Bureau, one-quarter of San Antonio residents age 25 and over do not have a high school diploma, and an additional 24.2 percent has only a high school diploma or GED. This is above the national avearge of 43% of adults in the county who have no education beyond high school. At the same time, the Monthly Labor Review reported in November 2006 that 24 of the 30 fastest growing occupations require post secondary credentials. This gap in educational skills is a huge barrier for many individuals, forcing them to remain at the bottom of the labor chain and negating any chance at career advancement. Project QUEST seeks to help bridge this gap by providing participants with a comprehensive array of educational and occupational training services, the type needed to compete for quality, long-term employment in today's workforce. Project QUEST services include outreach and recruitment, comprehensive applicant assessment, educational enhancement programs, occupational skills training, job search and placement, and case management services. Outreach and recruitment occurs at various community centers throughout San Antonio and informs residents about the advantages of comprehensive skills training. Community partners such as Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS), Metro Alliance, and other social service agencies help Project QUEST staff organize recruitment fairs and career fairs to reach individuals and families in need of training opportunities. The enrollment process begins with an orientation and comprehensive skill assessment to help applicants establish a career path and determine their academic competencies for training. Project QUEST staff conduct program orientations at various locations throughout San Antonio. Orientation is a brief presentation of the history, objectives and accomplishments of Project QUEST, and it informs applicants about their responsibilities as a participant. Applicants are also required to complete two exams: the TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education), which determines their basic academic aptitude, and the SAGE (System for Assessment and Group Evaluation), which establishes an employment interest inventory. Project QUEST staff utilizes both the TABE and SAGE to determine an applicant?s training competency as well as a plan for enrollment. As a workforce development program, Project QUEST is unique because it first defines the skills required to succeed in targeted, high-demand occupations, then recruits, trains and develops individuals so that they are qualified and ready for immediate employment. Labor market research and information obtained from employers such as wage rates, availability of benefits and career mobility potential help determine the training programs offered. This approach helps improve participant success rates both during training and at job placement. In addition, by conducting exploratory interviews with industry leaders and professional organizations Project QUEST is able to project employment opportunities and career stability. Most participants receive their academic instruction and occupational training services from colleges within the Alamo Community College District, ensuring quality educational services and establishing a sound framework upon which participants can advance their education or training after leaving Project QUEST. Currently, Project QUEST offers training in industries such as Healthcare, Information Technology, and Business Services. Specialized training is available upon demand from employers or the availability of special funding. Most training is in nursing and the allied health fields. All Project QUEST participants receive intense training on workplace soft skills and job readiness. Participants are required to attend weekly VIP (Vision, Initiative, and Perseverance) meetings to discuss issues related to training. They receive information on topics such as study habits, test-taking techniques, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and job interview preparation. VIP sessions also help in the formation of participant support groups, study groups, mentoring arrangements between experienced and recently enrolled participants, and networking opportunities for employment. In addition, Project QUEST employer partners frequently speak at VIP sessions to inform participants about issues relevant to securing and maintaining employment. Once they complete their training program, all Project QUEST participants are offered job search and placement services. Project QUEST staff members provide assistance with resume writing, interviewing techniques and job search activities. In many cases, participants receive direct job leads, including contact information, to allow them to quickly transition from a full-time training program to full-time employment. In addition, program services such as transportation assistance, childcare, counseling and referral assistance are available for a period of up to 90 days following job placement to ensure Project QUEST participants remain employed and maximize earnings. Project QUEST staff members also contact participants for a period of up to 18 months following job placement to collect employment information. All Project QUEST participants receive case management services throughout their enrollment period. Case management includes guidance, counseling, support services, and other relevant training needs. Guidance and counseling are vital components of the case management plan and help to strengthen communication channels between case manager and participant. Project QUEST case managers maintain weekly contact with participants to ensure that they are progressing in their respective training programs. Many participants require access to a wide range of support services including transportation assistance, childcare assistance, and utility assistance. Others also require emergency aid for housing and/or food. Project QUEST utilizes a comprehensive network of community service organizations to ensure participants receive the assistance they need. By offering participants individual attention to address personal issues, case management services give each Project QUEST participant the best opportunity to successfully complete their training program and move on to economic self-sufficiency.

Program Long-Term Success:

Project QUEST utilizes job placement rates, average hourly wage at placement, and job retention statistics to validate its effectiveness as a workforce development program. Since its inception in 1992, Project QUEST has assisted over 3,650 participants to gain access to occupational training leading to employment in jobs that offer family-level wages, benefits, and opportunities for advancement. Approximately 91% of those participants remain employed a year later as we follow their progress. The current average wage at placement is $17.08 per hour. Currently, over 400 participants are actively pursuing their education with Project QUEST?s assistance. The key to success for Project QUEST is its ability to extend program services beyond tuition and book payments. Participants require a comprehensive training program that focuses not only on skills training, but also on the personal and family issues that affect training. Issues such as childcare, transportation, and other personal concerns play a significant part in whether a participant completes training in a timely manner or, if at all. Funding from supporters is essential to assure that disadvantaged San Antonio residents will continue to be given an opportunity to enhance their educational and occupational skills, secure stable employment, and move towards economic self-sufficiency.

Program Short-Term Success:

Program Success Monitored by:

Program Success Examples:

Program: QUEST PREP

Program Description:

Project QUEST has fifteen years of experience working with adults who want to better prepare themselves to compete for quality jobs. This program has resulted in many successes as individuals have accessed occupational education leading to economic self-sufficiency for their families. This same experience has uncovered two glaring gaps in service. First, although Project QUEST only tests adults who have earned a high school diploma or GED, 86% of those tested are far from ready to begin for-credit college courses as indicated by their scores on the Test of Adult Basic Education, an assessment tool we administer. A second gap occurs as promising students are forced to put their dreams on hold in the final year of training because they have exhausted their finances since they had to pay for remedial and prerequisite courses before they began work toward training for their career choice. We propose to fill both gaps with the help of Wagner Peyser funds. Project QUEST wants to help adults who want to ?Learn to Earn?. The first gap will be addressed through a program developed to quickly remediate adults. QUEST Prep is a self-paced program developed by Project QUEST which is led by a professional educator in a dedicated learning center funded by this Grant. Group instruction is given in areas identified as deficient in most of the students in a given class. Participants proceed at their own pace in other areas of remediation. Classes are conducted five days per week, four hours per day with only 20-25 students per class. The goal is to lift the education level from as low as 6th grade in reading and/or math, as indicated pre-training, to the level needed to pass the Accuplacer, a college gatekeeper tool. Although assistance is available in the community for those who are preparing for the GED test, no program has been identified that works with adults who have earned a GED or high school diploma and still show a significant gap between their academic skills level and the level required by the community college to enter training. QUEST Prep was piloted and refined on a very small scale in-house beginning in March 2007 with the help of San Antonio ISD, which provides the instructor at no cost. Wagner Peyser funds would expand it into the Westside Education and Training Center (WETC). Region 20 will provide a professional educator to conduct the training. Vital to success for participants is the ability to overcome barriers to training. To do this and to be able to start conducting workplace readiness training in addition to the academic training, a Case Manager will be located in the center. This person will help individuals? access available assistance for which they may be eligible. In addition, there will be a limited budget for emergency assistance such as help with transportation to class. The long-term expansion plan will be to first offer QUEST Prep at the WETC. The second center will be located on the east side of the county. The third location will be in the south portion of town, another underserved area. To address the second gap, Project QUEST proposes to assist individuals in their final one or two semesters of education leading to a career in a targeted, high-demand occupation. Individuals will have completed remediation if needed, prerequisites, and have been accepted into the program of study they have chosen. Many at this point have exhausted their Pell Grants and other financial resources. Class, clinical time, and study time required to succeed leave limited time for part-time employment to supplement the family income. Since selected eligible individuals will have already demonstrated the ability to succeed, a limited investment will produce trained professionals needed in our community with only a one year investment. To lose these talented and tenacious people who have already struggled so much would be a true loss to the State of Texas in terms of human potential, trained professionals, and future additions to the role of taxpayers and consumer base. Results will be carefully tracked and the data collected used to leverage future funding. Alamo WorkSource (AWS) states in the Alamo Regional Industry Cluster Analysis that ?the greatest challenges for the region?s workforce-and economy, in the long run are increasing the number of students who receive high school degrees, and ensuring that as many of these graduates as possible go on to earn at least an Associate?s degree in the future.? Project QUEST supports selected career tracks identified as leading to jobs paying family-level wages, with benefits, and chance for advancement. Project QUEST?s philosophy is in total agreement with the AWS findings. The agency has a proven track record on not only getting people into college, but also of getting them through training, a discrepancy pointed out by the same report. Project QUEST?s graduation rate for the past twelve month period is 86% due in large part to the intensive case management and support services available. This compares favorably to the 17.4% of ACCD students who complete their education within six years, a statistic also quoted by AWS in the same report.

Program Long-Term Success:

Participants are quickly entering into college level courses to begin their journey to self-sufficiency.

Program Short-Term Success:

Program Success Monitored by:

Program Success Examples: