STEP (Strategy, Training, Employment, Performance): Helping Workers Take a Big STEP Towards Employment
What is the Uplift Northwest STEP Program?
The goal of the STEP Program is to assist workers navigate to a living wage career path through employment, job-readiness training, workshops and support services.
Individuals who have expressed a desire for full-time employment and have displayed the motivation and work ethic to succeed in that goal are referred into the STEP Program by a Staff member at Uplift Northwest.
The STEP Program consists of eight hours of workshops and job-readiness trainings including:
Lead and Inspire Training Session
- Emotional Intelligence
- What Employers Are Looking for In an Employee
- Stress Management
The Tools We Need Training Session
- Building a Resume
- Mock Interviewing
- Using Your Cell Phone for Employment
- Safety in the Workplace
The STEP program participants meet with the Employment Specialist for an assessment to find out about skills and needs in order to provide services that can assist them to achieve their goals. The Employment Specialist will help to develop an Individual Achievement Plan (IAP), to address barriers and goals and a vision for their future. Assessment continues in the classroom and throughout the individual’s participation in STEP.
What happens after a worker graduates from the STEP Program?
Upon graduation from the STEP Program, the participant is referred to one of our program partners like Seattle Jobs Initiative (SJI) who works with them on identifying a vocational training program at a community college, vocational technical institution, or similar training program to earn an advanced credential. A Career Navigator then assists the participant with trainings, school, and certifications to obtain a pathway to a livable wage career or to one of our partners. When we refer our workers to SJI, A Career Navigator outlines the training, employment and steps required to achieve additional goals through an Individual Employment Plan (IEP). SJI provides support services while the participant works toward that goal.
The Career Navigator partners with an Employment Specialist from the Uplift Northwest Staff to provide ongoing assistance while the individual is working to reach their goal. The success of the STEP Program covering the soft skills prior to referring participants to one of our partners, increases the chance of success for a worker to obtain and maintain employment while earning more training and education, and eventually a quality living wage job.
What does this Program cost?
Budget:
| $25,770 | Monthly Costs |
| $309,240 | Annual Expenses |
| $193,800 | Staffing |
| $503,040 | Total |
| $30,000 | Retention incentives |
| $533,040 | TOTAL |
960 Participants served per year through our training programs and 240 graduating from STEP cost roughly $2,500 per participant (this cost varies based on the needs of each worker/participant).
Donate today to support our STEP program and help Uplift Northwest workers obtain living wage jobs.
