Jewish Vocational Service Annual Report

COVER

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Investing in Futures

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Jewish Vocational Service

Annual Report, 2000

INSIDE

Our Mission

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Jewish Vocational Service gives shape and substance to Judaic teachings regarding social justice and the dignity and value of work. Our mission is to empower individuals from diverse communities to find employment and build careers, and to partner with employers to hire and train productive workforces.

Our Values

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Everything we do is guided by a firm set of values:

Commitment: We are committed to lifelong learning and career development for all.

Social justice: We place the highest priority on serving individuals who face the greatest barriers to achieving economic stability.

Quality: We provide the highest quality services to our clients: comprehensive, timely, and relevant.

Responsiveness: We tailor our approach to respond to the unique needs of our clients, our funding sources and the communities we serve.

Performance: We consistently demonstrate outstanding performance in meeting our clients’, employers’ and our funders’ goals.

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Making the most of our resources.

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At JVS, we see remarkable transformations in the lives of our clients every day. People often come to us unable to see a way out of poverty. Given the right training and support, those same people earn higher wages, advance in the workplace, and are able to support their families and contribute to the community.

Witnessing these kinds of transformations is what make JVS so deeply committed to our work. It also makes us aware of just how valuable our resources are—and how crucial it is to invest those resources wisely so they will have the greatest impact on those we serve.

To that end, we spent the past year developing a strategic plan that will help us make the most of our funding, our expertise, and our staff over the next several years.

A year-long process of careful analysis and strategic planning.

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Our planning began with a careful analysis of our own strengths and weaknesses, both in terms of the work we do and the resources we have to do it. We then conducted an in-depth study of employment issues related to public policy, today’s workplace, and the economy.

To set priorities, we used the following criteria:

s How well does it support our mission?

s Will we be able to clearly measure the impact it has on our clients and employers?

s Will it help those people with the most difficult barriers to overcome?

s Will it build on our current resources and successes?

Using these tools, we identified two strategic initiatives in which we will invest the bulk of our resources for the next several years.

Introducing the Center for Careers and Lifelong Learning and The Employment Account Management System.

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These two initiatives embody the mission and values which guide JVS, and will have a powerful, measurable impact on those who are most economically vulnerable, their families, and the communities in which they live. And just as importantly, they will enable us to greatly improve our ability to serve the employers with whom we work so closely. We are pleased and proud to now share these initiatives with you.

The Center for Careers and Lifelong Learnin

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Employment alone is not a solution to poverty. In fact, in the wake of welfare reform in Massachusetts , studies show that even while the employment rate increased, the number of families living in poverty did not decrease.

If there is to be an end to generational poverty, the unemployed and working poor must have more than low-wage, dead-end jobs. They must have ongoing training and support. As skills increase, so do wages and self-worth. And only then can people can lift themselves, their families, and entire communities out of poverty.

This is an enormous challenge. And meeting it requires a groundbreaking new approach—such as the JVS Center for Careers and Lifelong Learning (CALL).

A new, lifelong approach to career training and assistance.

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Helping a client secure an entry-level position is the end-goal of a traditional job placement assistance program. With the CALL it’s just the beginning. And the goal is ongoing—to provide the working poor with the continuous support and training they need to sustain employment and increase their earning power through skills attainment.

Although a number of training and educational options are available in the Boston area—through community colleges, technical schools and other training providers--these programs do not provide the following services which are an integral part of JVS’ plan:

A career counseling process to assist individuals to identify career options and develop realistic learning and career plans, based on individual and family economic needs.
Individualized support to address barriers to training and employment, including counseling, peer support, mentoring activities, and linkages to social services.
A design that is structured to assist clients in developing self-confidence in their abilities to succeed in further education and secure higher-skilled jobs.
A curriculum that integrates strategies for independent learning with instruction on specific, vocational content areas.
Long term follow-up, including work with job supervisors to resolve workplace issues before they arise.

In addition, the CALL will make post-secondary training and education accessible to our working-poor clients. We will offer remedial courses to bridge the gap between high school (or entry level vocational training) to college level courses. Affiliation agreements with community colleges and four-year colleges will enable CALL clients to make seamless transitions.

Although the CALL is currently a Boston-based pilot, JVS believes that the pilot will soon demonstrate successful strategies to help low-income working people escape poverty.

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The Employer Account Management System

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JVS works closely with a broad spectrum of business, industry, and other employers in and around Boston . From applicant referrals, to the development and implementation of workplace training, to hosting job fairs, JVS offers a wide range of services to our employer-customers.

The Employer Account Management System (TEAMS) will enable JVS to update and significantly improve the ways we service employers. TEAMS is an agency-wide, streamlined, integrated approach to employer-customer service designed to:

eliminate any gaps and duplications in the service employers receive
maximize career opportunities for JVS clients
provide employers with a larger, more diverse applicant pool
ensure that employers are aware of the full complement of JVS services
help JVS to better understand employers’ needs and provide creative solutions
more closely link employers’ needs to the development of training options available at the CALL and other JVS program

To meet these objectives, TEAMS has two primary goals:

1. Standardize employer service business practices such as:

• taking job postings

• screening candidates

• making referrals

• exploring employer needs

• marketing JVS services

• soliciting employer feedback

2. Establish an agency-wide database including needed information on:

• employers

• job postings

• applicants

• applicant-referral information

• placement information

• follow-up information

• employer feedback and satisfaction data

• labor market trends

With TEAMS in place, JVS can accomplish the all-important goals of improving employer relations and becoming an even more valuable resource for employers and clients alike.

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The difference a year makes.

2000 Milestones

s The Center for Careers and Lifelong Learning pilot initiative was launched and relocated to newer, more spacious quarters at 29 Winter Street.

s The Literacy and External Diploma program relocated to 26 West Street , merging it with the JVS English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program.

s JVS and Northeastern University reach an agreement that results in the granting of NU credits for JVS classes and in the development of “bridging” courses designed to prepare JVS clients for NU Certificate programs.

s The JVS Refugee Employment and Citizenship Program received a Governor’s New American Appreciation Award for service on behalf of the Commonwealth’s newcomers.

s Career Designs Services hired a Chinese bilingual rehabilitation counselor, allowing the department to serve disabled Chinese adults.

s The JVS Work Place held the first-ever job fair inside a Massachusetts prison.

The people we served.

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Annual budget.

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Client Profiles

Sabina Besic arrived in the United States from Bosnia determined to work, but lacking computer skills. After a JVS training program, she was hired as a full-time teller at Century Bank. Then, while attending a JVS/Northeastern Open House, Sabina won a free NU course. She chose International Business Law and subsequently enrolled in Immigration and Law. This bright, promising 23-year-old now plans to become a lawyer.

Hung Tran left Vietnam after political unrest forced him to quit school and begin working as a hide tanner in Saigon . Soon after arriving in the U.S. , he entered the JVS literacy/ESOL class where he quickly learned to read and write English. Hung also excelled as a computer lab assistant, where he was soon teaching others. He now owns a dry-cleaning business where his new English, math, and computer skills serve him well.

Sonya Hicks is a single mother of three who believed she could turn 20 years of experience and connections in health care billing into a profitable small business. Through JVS Neighborhood Business Builders, Sonya completed a business training course, wrote her business plan, and met the mentor who would help her find funding for Seabreeze & Associates. She now employs six people.

John graduated from Cornell University in 1978. Shortly after, he suffered a psychotic break that had him in and out of institutions until 1997 when he moved into supervised housing. John came to JVS Career Designs with a strong desire for greater independence but with severe anxiety and many obstacles to overcome. JVS classes and workshops helped build his confidence and resolve. Training on the use of public transportation gave him greater mobility. And—when he became ready—a temporary position working in a book store gave John the assurance that he can enjoy a measure of independence despite the challenges he faces, and that there is a place for him in the community.

Keith Soifer came to JVS Career Moves hoping that improving his resume and interviewing skills would help him in his job search. It helped more than he would have imagined. As Keith got his qualifications down on paper, he began to appreciate all the skills and abilities he had to offer. Resuming his job search with new-found confidence and vigor, Keith soon had the job he wanted—as a research analyst for the Aberdeen Group, a market research firm.

Galina Deyeko was a skilled pathologist in the former Soviet Union . But when she came here in 1999, she had little hope of resuming a successful medical career. Getting licensed in the U.S. would take years and she had a family to support. Through the JVS Refugee Employment Program, Galina quickly secured a part-time position that met her immediate income needs, and, over the course of a few years, has doubled her salary, become a full-time histopathologist, and plans to enroll part-time in a Northeastern University medical program.

Donor List (copy provided by JVS)

Board of Directors (copy provided by JVS)

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