Employment and Training Program

Finding a home with us is an important new beginning for our tenants, but for many it is only the beginning. They often need training or job placement services. TNDC's Employment and Training Program is staffed by professionals ready to help—at no cost. There are also a significant number of residents, often seniors, who want volunteer work.

When a tenant comes to us, he or she is not part of a routine, structured process. We try to be sensitive to the special needs of our residents and provide them with flexible, individualized counseling from both a Vocational Counselor and a Job Developer. They learn the basics of job searching such as resume development and interview skills. Once an assessment has been made, we tap into our comprehensive network of employment services and arrange for appropriate training or job placement opportunities.

In 2002:

• 53 clients were placed in jobs
• 24 were placed as volunteers or in continued education and job training
• 151 clients total were served (98 new intakes, 53 ongoing clients)

In addition to referrals to employers throughout the city, TNDC itself has employed many of our residents through the Employment and Training Program. They work in our administrative office and in our 21 buildings serving 3000 people.

Three Success Stories
Of the hundreds of people we have helped in their quest for training and jobs, here are just three representative samples of our work. The names have been changed to protect tenant privacy.

Curt Franklin. When Curt came to us he had not worked for 10 years being on disability and unable to keep a steady job. He had worked as a mechanic and shipping and receiving clerk in the distant past and was now ready to reenter the job market. But his long period of unemployment made him nervous and insecure. Our Vocational Counselor referred him to a janitorial training program that pays participants as they learn janitorial and job-readiness skills. A few weeks later Curt's name was called off the waiting list and he began the program. Today, Curt is working part-time as a janitor in a public hospital gaining the skills he'll need to obtain a full time position.

Jan Wu. Jan came to our program because she had been unemployed for 4 months. Fluent in Cantonese and English, she worked as a teller for a major San Francisco bank but left her job because she was having trouble with a supervisor. A TNDC Vocational Counselor helped Jan prepare a resume and cover letter while the Employment and Training Manager assisted her in beginning a job search. During a conversation with the Vocational Counselor, however, Jan revealed that she enjoyed working at the bank but a personnel issue came up that she didn't know how to handle. Because she was afraid that a touchy situation might result in her termination, she resigned. As a job search was ongoing for Jan, the Vocational Counselor encouraged her to contact her previous supervisor and ask for a reference. Jan made the call and was not only asked to return to the job, but was also given a raise. She is working again at the bank and continues to meet with our Vocational Counselor to obtain training that will expand her administrative skills so that she can advance to the bank's human resources department.

Lily McCullough. Lily came to us because she wanted fulfilling volunteer opportunities. As one of TNDC's retired senior tenants living on a fixed income, Lily brought a wealth of education and experience to the table. Also an extremely motivated person, Lily wanted to contribute to her community. Our Vocational Counselor arranged a series of volunteer opportunities. Lily reports that she has very much enjoyed working as a volunteer and going to other parts of the city. She still meets regularly with Employment and Training staff to provide feedback about each agency she volunteers for and to make suggestions about how TNDC can improve its senior services.