The Fresno Bridge AcAdemyServing everyone Who WantS to Work

The Fresno Bridge Academy (The Bridge Academy, The Bridge or The Academy) was first conceived in the Fresno Regional Jobs Initiative (RJI) plan developed in 2003. Implementation has been delayed for various reasons, mainly the priority given to the development of vibrant industry clusters; the need to put together a critical mass of willing and committed partners; and, resource constraints. With the first two issues now addressed, The Bridge Academy is ready for launch when resources are obtained.

As noted in the Fresno County Human Investment Initiative (HII), a robust place-based workforce development apparatus is considered critical to meaningful, successful outcomes in our most poverty-stricken neighborhoods. The Bridge Academy is proposed as a response to that need. It is the link between human development and economic development, and it’s anticipated that it will be implemented under the umbrella of the HII. As with the HII itself, the initial efforts of The Academy will be focused on a distinct urban area; however, it is expected that the lessons learned will then be exported to other urban or rural locales to the extent that it is beneficial.

The Bridge Academy as currently conceived, will act as both a personal on-ramp into beneficial society and a direct pathway to employment, much resembling the Neighborhood Workforce Pipelines described by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its report, Connecting People to Jobs. As described in that report, the purpose of The Bridge Academy is to provide an on-ramp and a pathway for economically marginalized people to secure decent wages, build assets, and develop the self-esteem that comes with providing for their families. Client case management will shift from the traditional service model towards an economically oriented model that focuses on achievement of self-reliance for clients and their families. From the standpoint of employers, the benefit will be a pipeline of stable, workforce-ready employees.

According to the Brookings Institute, Fresno has the highest rate of concentrated urban poverty in the nation. What we envision is a bridge to connect the unemployed and underemployed from these poor neighborhoods to good jobs through an integrated, comprehensive set of job readiness, training, placement and support services.

The Value Proposition Behind The BridgeThe Bridge Academy begins with the notion of addressing community building with a value lens. Fresno has a disproportionate number of residents who need and want jobs but have given up on their ability to navigate the complex system that leads to stable employment. Too much experience with failure has led these residents to detachment. Similarly, employers in the Fresno region repeatedly express their frustration with fielding a workforce of stable, reliable employees. Above and beyond the clear societal benefits, the value proposition of the bridge is to help residents find stable employment and opportunities for advancement and to help employers satisfy their needs for a stable workforce.

The problem is that these two segments of our community — residents in low income neighborhoods and employers — have historically found it difficult to find each other, let alone establish a dialogue about what it will take for both to satisfy their needs. What is needed is a pipeline that starts with trusted intermediaries at both ends of the spectrum. At one end, we need CBOs that have peer-to-peer connections with residents. At the other end, we need organizations like the Regional Jobs Initiative that understand the language of business. In between, we need providers of services that can help bridge the gap between what employers

want and the current state of many low-income residents. In time, we expect viral marketing of The Bridge to develop as participants at both ends of the spectrum reap the mutual benefits from these value-based relationships,

In short, The Bridge Academy approaches community building as an economic movement, with social connection as its indispensable underpinning.

Building The BridgeFour key principles have guided the design of The Bridge.

1. Build on What Already ExistsThere is no shortage of CBOs, workforce development organizations or social service organizations in Fresno. Nor is there a shortage of employers who are eager for employees who are workforce ready. The problem is that these organizations tend to operate in disconnected silos, making it difficult if not impossible for people in underserved communities to even attempt to navigate this fragmented maze. What is needed is an umbrella organization that connects all these organizations in a user-friendly way; a network that is designed with ease of access as a primary criterion. In Fresno, portions of this network are already built. CBOs like the Center for New Americans and Fresno Street Saints, have relationships of trust with residents in low-income neighborhoods. The Regional Jobs Initiative is a network of employers that can serve as a job broker for Bridge clients. The Human Investment Initiative itself proposes a network of place-based assets aligned behind shared empowerment strategies. These multifaceted networks can assist in outreach and triage and act as a broker for social services to address basic and more complex needs. The intent is that under coordinated leadership, these networks will have the organizational capacity, public sector connections and political savvy to get things done in the community.

It bears emphasizing that The Bridge Academy has no intention of duplicating anything that is already available and working well. Its mission is to connect the myriad services that are available to low-income residents into a client-centered, streamlined pathway that leads them to stable employment.

2. Focus on PlaceEase of access begins with physical location. The Bridge Academy must have “storefronts” in the neighborhood. They must be convenient and inviting to residents. To the maximum extent practicable, services need to be delivered in the neighborhoods. While much job training will likely be provided off-site, the idea is to have as much training as possible, and most other services, brought to the neighborhood where the residents live.

3. A Comprehensive and Integrated ApproachImplementers of The Bridge will identify the obstacles to steady employment for residents in underinvested neighborhoods. The Bridge is intended to eliminate as many of these obstacles as possible. For instance, residents who have difficulty participating in training because of lack of transportation or child care will be assisted in securing these services. Residents with alcohol or drug addiction issues will be referred to appropriate treatment programs and admitted to The Academy when they have passed minimum treatment thresholds. Residents who wish to exit gang life will be referred to the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Initiative. Residents who may not currently know how to access jobs outside their immediate neighborhood will be offered pathways to jobs throughout the regional economy. Bridge clients who have come to accept failure as the norm will be mentored to accept success as their new normal.

The Fresno Bridge AcAdemyThe Fresno Bridge AcAdemy

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The Fresno Bridge AcAdemy

It is important to understand the degree to which The Bridge Academy will be integrated with other elements of the HII. The Bridge Academy aims at empowering residents to become self sufficient through a focus on job readiness, job training and job placement. The Network, as described in the preliminary version of the HII plan, aims at insuring that basic needs are met, external barriers are removed and personal progress occurs across all of the six Comer developmental pathways. Through shared professional development and multi-disciplinary training, the intention is to build an integrated consortium of service providers where empowerment of individuals becomes the primary aim regardless of where clients enter the system.

4. Serve People Who Want to WorkThere are four requirements for admission to The Bridge Academy:n The Bridge will serve people who want to work, but will show little patience for those who want to work the system. Clients may be looking for entry level jobs, or advancement to second-tier or higher jobs.n Clients must be at least 18 years old.n Clients must be drug-free or enrolled in a drug treatment program.n Clients must have renounced any affiliation with gang activity.

operating The BridgeThe Bridge Academy will operate through a network of partners. To the maximum extent possible, it will outsource functions to Bridge partners. The Bridge Academy itself will perform the following functions:

n Build and maintain the network of partners, including employers. A criterion for network participation is a commitment to operate in accordance with the Community Values of the Fresno Region.n Act as the coordinating arm for all partners in the network.n Act as a referral agent for job training, financial counseling, social services, drug treatment and gang exit.n Ensure smooth coordination between the economic self-reliance goals of The Bridge and the individual and family empowerment goals of the HII.n Ensure smooth hand-off of clients from one service provider to another.n Work to fill service gaps, either directly or through added partners.n Provide a physical place (or places) in the neighborhood for delivery of selected services.n Implement a uniform, standardized admissions, screening, orientation and assessment program.n Provide a quality control function for all service delivery. Quality control and institutional accountability will be key elements of the process.n Create a “Bridge Academy Brand” that is beneficially seen by clients, employers and service providers. n Provide Bridge Academy certification.n Through its partner network, arrange for mentorship of clients throughout their enrollment in The Bridge Academy and for at least 12 months after graduation.n Provide a continuing education pathway for graduates of The Bridge Academy.n Provide professional development workshops and training for partner organizations.n Help secure the funding for the provision of all services needed to achieve the objectives of The Bridge Academy.

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The Fresno Bridge AcAdemy

Bridge services and Partners

on-ramp ServiceS partnerS

Outreach/RecruitmentOutreach and recruitment will be performed primarily by organizations that have trust relationships with residents in the neighborhood, including CBOs and the faith community. every effort will be made to make The Bridge welcoming, friendly and fun. There will be no wrong door for accessing the services of The Bridge. Self-referrals and referrals from schools, the eOC, the WIB, other portals of the hII, the MGPI (Mayor’s Gang Prevention Initiative) and others will be welcomed.

n CBOsn NRCsn NERCsn Faith Communityn Fresno Countyn Schoolsn EOCn WIBn HIIn MGPI

Screening and AdmissionsAll clients will be tested for drugs. Failure to pass a drug test will not mean denial of admission, but it will mean that clients must first enroll in a drug treatment program and have been certified by the treatment provider as having successfully undergone the first phase of treatment.

Clients must also certify that they have no gang affiliations. If they do have gang affiliations and wish to be admitted to The Bridge Academy, they will first be referred to the MGPI.

n Drug Screening Organizationsn Drug Treatment Organizationsn Mayor’s Gang Prevention Initiative (MGPI)

OrientationA uniform orientation will be offered by The Bridge Academy staff and its partners, particularly the neighborhood CBOs. employers will be regular participants in orientation sessions. The orientation program will describe how The Bridge will work to provide a pathway to employment for clients and it will make clear the importance of responsible participation by clients admitted to The Bridge (e.g., attendance, punctuality, drug-free).

n Bridge Academy Staffn CBOsn Other Partners

Assessment and Individualized Achievement PlansAll clients will be given a standardized assessment (Work Keys) to determine their workforce skills and aptitudes.

They will also be asked to identify the social services they are currently using, their current access to financial aid, and their need for interpretation and translation services.

each client will “own” his/her confidential testing and assessment information. The information will be used for the purpose of identifying a possible match to employment opportunities and to design an Individualized Career Plan (ICP) that will enable the candidate to meet the relevant job requirements. The ICP will be developed in close consultation with the client and reviewed periodically with the client to measure progress and determine any necessary plan modifications.

The ICP will consider and respond to: (1) the candidate’s aptitudes; (2) the candidate’s language, math, and work-like behavior; (3) the training approach, which will result in developing the most effective and efficient plan for achieving employment or upgrading employment in the targeted industry; and (4) the supportive services that are needed by the participant in order to become job ready (e.g. transportation, childcare, interpretation, books, etc.).

each client will be assigned a case manager who will follow the client’s progress through at least the first twelve months after job placement. Case managers will work with virtual “self-reliance” teams that include representation from all the service providers involved in helping the client achieve his or her ICP.

Subject to the consent of each client, data will be accumulated without name association, for the purpose of providing information necessary for continued development and improvement of the program.

n Bridge Academy Staffn WIBn RJIn HII

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referral ServiceS partnerS

Strengthening Individuals and FamiliesThe Bridge sits at the intersection of human development and economic development. While The Bridge Academy is designed as the pathway for clients to achieve stable employment and economic self-reliance, the other elements of the hII offers the necessary, parallel developmental pathways that lead to positive habits for individuals and families.

n HIIn Fresno County

Job SkillsTraining pathways will be developed for jobs that are in demand in the greater Fresno area. Those jobs have already been identified by the Regional Jobs Initiative and the Workforce Investment Board (WIB). The initial focus will be on entry level jobs, including such categories as automotive technicians, nursing aides, orderlies and attendants, hospitality workers, and truck drivers. The focus will later be expanded to second and third tier jobs.

All partners will be encouraged to embed “soft skills” training in their programs (punctuality, teamwork, proper attire, etc.).

Training pathways will include the community colleges, the Fresno Unified Adult education program, private schools, union apprenticeship programs, the economic Opportunity Commission and employer apprenticeships. Most of these training pathways are already in place.

The Bridge Academy will also provide continuing education and career enhancement pathways for Bridge Academy graduates.

The Bridge will assist partners in securing all possible sources of funding to support training.

n Regional Jobs Initiativen WIBn Community Collegesn FUSD Adult Educationn Private Schoolsn Fresno Compactn Organized Laborn Employersn Fresno Countyn EOCn City of Fresno

Social ServicesThe Bridge will ensure that clients are accessing all social services available to them so that they have the income support necessary to enable them to focus on their training and to relieve pressure on them when they are placed in jobs. Many Fresno residents currently do not access social service programs for which they are eligible (e.g. only 50% of residents eligible for food stamps collect them).

The hII itself has been designed in part to provide easy access to all social services, including connecting clients to all social services agencies and relevant NGOs.

2-1-1 Central Valley, a program of United Way of Fresno County, will likewise be a valuable partner. They hold the largest database of health and human services information in the Central Valley. Metro Ministry’s Community Resource Directory is another important tool.

n HIIn Fresno Countyn 2-1-1 Central Valleyn NGOs

Financial CounselingIf asset-building and financial self-reliance is the driving objective for clients of The Bridge, financial counseling must be one of the services offered by The Bridge. Many residents of Fresno’s poorest neighborhoods do not even have bank accounts. They will be taught how to develop a financial improvement plan, how to open bank accounts, establish a pattern of savings, eliminate the use of predatory lenders and develop a favorable credit history.

Financial counseling for low income residents is already available in Fresno through financial institutions and non-profit institutions such as Money Management International (MMI) and ByDesign Financial Solutions. The Bridge Academy will make it possible for residents to access this counseling in their neighborhood.

n Central Valley Financial Literacy Programn Financial Stability Programn Financial Institutionsn Non-profitsn Fresno Countyn City of Fresno

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certification, Job Placement and retention

partnerS

n The Bridge Academyn WIB

Job PlacementThe Bridge will work with the Regional Jobs Initiative to establish MOU’s with willing employers, the eOC and workforce intermediaries to place certificated Bridge clients in high demand occupations. It will also closely coordinate its job placement activities with the Fresno Workforce Investment Board (WIB), the Fresno County employment and Temporary Placement Assistance Department and the City of Fresno Mayor’s Jobs Initiative.

n RJIn Employersn EOCn WIBn Workforce Intermediariesn Fresno County ETPn City of Fresnon Fresno County

RetentionUser-friendly follow-up procedures will be implemented to maximize the likelihood that clients placed into employment remain employed for a minimum of one year and to track employer experience and satisfaction with certificate holders.

n CBOsn WIB

Bridge governanceThe Bridge Academy will be established as an at-will partnership under the broader umbrella of the HII and will be governed by a board of not less than nine and not more than fifteen board members. It is expected that the board will be mostly comprised of representatives from partner organizations. It will be a requirement that the Chair of the Board not be a service provider competing for resources with pipeline partners. The CEO of the Fresno Regional Foundation shall be appointed as a non-voting ex-officio member of the board, and the Fresno Regional Foundation will act as fiscal agent for The Bridge Academy. It is expected that there will be an advisory council in each neighborhood, comprised primarily of people with trust relationships in that neighborhood and employers who have agreed to partner with The Bridge Academy.

The responsibilities of the board will be to (a) set policy; (b) select a CEO who will be responsible for carrying out the functions described above under “Building the Bridge”; (c) approve the annual budget; and (d) monitor the performance of The Bridge Academy. An initial action of the board will be endorsement of the Community Values, which includes reviewing one of the values at each board meeting.

Attachment “A”: The Bridge Academy PilotAttachment “B”: High Demand Occupations in Fresno County that do not require a High School Degree

CertificationA standardized certification process will be instituted by The Bridge Academy, using an existing “employment Readiness Certificate” based on Work Keys assessment. It will certify that clients have completed specified training and that they have demonstrated characteristics suggestive of good work habits.

The certification will be developed according to standards that make it universally accepted throughout the County.

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appenDiX “a”

The Bridge Academy Pilot

Location: Southwest Fresno Launch Date: March 2009

Targeted Annual Outcomes: YeAr 1 YeAr 2 YeAr 3

n Clients admitted 400 600 800n Clients certified (60/70/80%) 240 420 640 n Clients Placed in Jobs (90%) 216 378 576n Clients retained 12 months after employment placing (75%) 162 284 432n Correlation of training to Jobs 80% 80% 80%

Jobs Focus: (see Appendix “B”)The Bridge Academy will initially focus on high-demand jobs for which high school degrees are not required. There are approximately 1,000 such positions currently open in Fresno County in the job categories listed below, with projections of growth to about 2,500 jobs in one year and over 4,000 in three years.

n Automotive Technicians/Mechanicsn Mechanics, Maintenance and Repair Workersn Freight, Stock and Material Handlersn Truck Driversn Nursing Aides, Orderlies and Attendantsn Hospitality Workersn Certain Public Sector Workers

Other relevant Neighborhood Projects:n Other HII Pilots n Project Succeedn Kirk Elementaryn Asset Mapping Project

Funding requirements:Staffn Bridge CEOn Admissions, Screening, Assessment Directorn Referrals Directorn Certification and Job Placement Directorn Case Managers (6, 8 and 10 in years one, two and three respectively)n Development Managern Administrative AssistantOther expensesn Client Tracking Systemn Interpreting Servicesn Testing/Assessmentn Other miscellaneous expenses

Comments: n To the extent practicable, The Bridge Academy pilot will be co-located with other HII endeavors in West Fresnon The Fresno Police Chief has committed extra community policing and gang prevention resources in the neighborhood

The Fresno Bridge AcAdemy

appenDiX “B” high demand occupations that do not require a high school degree* Fresno County, 2008

Source: Fresno County Workforce Investment Board, July 2008 Survey

CurreNT PrOJeCTeD PrOJeCTeD POSiTiONS iN iN NeeDeD 1 YeAr 3 YeArS Automotive Service Technicians/Mechanics 21 185 290 Automotive Specialty Technicians 8 129 222 Bus and Truck Mechanics 6 29 43 Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment 13 97 145

total automotive 48 440 700

Heating, A/C Mechanics 7 170 207 Maintenance & Repair Workers, General 25 57 119 Maintenance Workers, Machinery 25 57 119

total mechanicS, maintenance anD repair 57 284 445

Freight, Stock and Material Movers 0 59 117 Shipping, Receiving and Traffic Clerks 5 26 52 Stock Clerks-Stockroom Warehouse, or Storage Yard 17 43 80 Packers and Packagers, Hand 21 55 63

total freight, Stock anD material hanDlerS 43 183 312

Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor Trailer 42 212 319 Truck Drivers, Light or Delivery Services 13 54 120

total truck DriverS 55 266 439

Nursing Aides, Orderlies and Attendants 500 970 1083

granD total 703 2,143 2,979

*Excludes Hospitality Industry and Government jobs, neither of which were surveyed.

ServiceS pathWay principal partnerS

n Invitation to “The Bridge” Outreach & n WIBn Admissions recruitment n CBOs n Faith Community n Fresno County

n Drug Testing Screening & n Drug Screening Orgs.n Drug Treatment Admissions n Drug Treatment Orgs. n MGPI

n Orientation to the program Orientation n The Bridge Academyn Job Opportunities n Human Investment Initiativen Client Commitments n CBOsn Case Managers

n Incoming Assessment Assessment n The Bridge Academyn Individualized Career Plans & iCPs n Fresno Countyn Outgoing Assessment n WIB n RJI

n Developmental pathways Strengthening n Human Investment Initiative individuals & Families n Fresno County

n Jobs Gap Analysis Job Skills referral n WIBn Job-specific Training n Community Collegesn “Soft Skills” Training n Organized Laborn Math/English Proficiency n Adult Educationn Computer Literacy n Private Schools

n Increase Take Up of Income Supports Social Services n Human Investment Initiativen Facilitate Provision of Needed Social Services referral n County Social Services

n Financial Education Financial Counseling n Central Valley Financialn Bank Enrollment Literacy Programn Credit Union Membership n Financial Institutionsn Credit Repair n Non-profits

n Standardized Certification Process Certification n The Bridge Academy

n MOUs with Employers and Workforce Job Placement n Regional Jobs Initiative Intermediaries n Employersn Industry Advisory Board n WIBn Job Placement Assistance n Fresno County

n Six and Twelve Month Tracking retention n The Bridge Academy n WIB n CBOs

The Fresno Bridge AcAdemyServing everyone Who WantS to Work

Job-ReadyCandidates

Stable

Employment

Advancement

with New Skills

Accumulating

AssetsHomeownership

Community Investment