Taller San Jose

Description

Taller San Jose walks undereducated, unskilled and unemployed youth in Central Orange County out of poverty through a comprehensive and strategically designed job-training program. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange established Taller San Jose (St. Joseph's Workshop) in 1995 in response to the high rate of crime and gang violence among the City of Santa Ana's youth and the lack of resources available to young people who had either dropped out of school or been incarcerated. Taller San Jose is a highly focused, goal oriented program that helps students develop into self-reliant adults through three key job-training programs in Medical Careers, Office Careers and Construction, as well as support services such as mentoring and counseling, legal assistance, 12-step support programs and job placement. Throughout the course of the 16 week training program, apprentices are challenged to complete the following seven goals: obtain a high school diploma, open and use a bank account, develop basic computer skills, find a job with a living wage, remain crime free and drug free for one year, register to vote and obtain a valid driver's license. In thirteen years, Taller San Jose has helped over 4,000 young people in Central Orange Countyrestructure their lives, finish their education and develop marketable job skills.