National Day Laborer Organizing Network Pasadena Community Job Center

Pasadena City College

Omar Leon, NDLON Workforce Development CoordinatorXochi Flores, NDLON Development Assoc, Project CoordinatorShannon Maraghy, Pasadena City College InstructorDr. Roberto Flores, Pasadena City College Instructor

Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers – Casey Foundation

Description of ProjectOur PCC-PCJC Partnership's mission is to provide the immigrant and day laborer workforce at the PCJC with educational opportunities relevant to their realities and that will improve their lives and the lives of their families.

This collaborative effort focuses on strengthening educational pathways for better serve the immigrant population and to formalize an educational pathway for adult learners from noncredit English as a Second Language and Immigrant Education programs to other noncredit programs, noncredit short-term Career Technical Education (CTE) Programs, credit programs or the workforce.

Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers – Casey Foundation

Description of PartnersThe National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) improves the lives of day laborers in the United States. To this end, NDLON works to unify and strengthen its member organizations to be more strategic and effective in their efforts to develop leadership, mobilize, and organize day laborers in order to protect and expand their civil, labor, and human rights. NDLON fosters safer and more humane environments for day laborers, both men and women, to earn a living, contribute to society, and integrate into the community.

The College is committed to providing access to higher education for members of the diverse communities within the District service area and to offering courses, programs, and other activities to enhance the economic conditions and the quality of life in these communities.

Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers – Casey Foundation

Results to Date

Number of Students Served/Enrolled = 30

Number of Completers = 16

Number of Workers Placed in Jobs = Construction

Painting

Housekeeping

Gardening

Moving

Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers – Casey Foundation

Results to Date

During the summer semester, PCC partners taught an ESL conversation class as well as an AB60 based Driver Written Test Preparation course. This fall’s current series of courses include Green Construction, Green Housekeeping and ESL Conversation. Logistically, we were only able to offer two at the PCJC off-campus site and 1 at the PCC Community Educational Center, which is about 3 miles from the PCJC. To complement these classes, we are now building pathways in two directions:

A pathway towards a job in Green Construction, Green Housecleaning or Green Landscaping and/or

A path towards a pre-apprenticeship certificate that would lead to further training in the construction, housecleaning and landscaping areas.

The PCC partners have already developed a bilingual pre-construction pathway class and what is now needed is a bilingual instructor and a plan to connect student/workers with employers in the growing green industry.

Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers – Casey Foundation

Lessons Learned

Day laborer population is not always ready to become part of what is very much an institution and that there is not ever going to be an ideal situation for everyone.

College staffing and issues in the college directly affect the partnership. Not every instructor is a suitable instructor for the job center.

Students themselves are very willing to take leadership in their learning to make the transition and to develop the education component

Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers – Casey Foundation

Biggest Challenges

Engaging in a class fully when dealing with the threat of deportation, issues of poverty, lack of access

Having to leave class whenever a job opportunity arises

Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers – Casey Foundation

Future PlansBegin in depth assessments of the ESL level and of each worker at the Pasadena Community Job Center

Work with day laborer population in developing and Education Committee

Work together on enhancing assessment and recruitment strategies

Offer the construction and building trade pre apprenticeship 210 hour course

Improve and implement new marketing strategies to attract potential employers

Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers – Casey Foundation

Discussion Points or Questions

We work with the day laborer community of which most are undocumented. It is difficult for them to see the possibility of immigration reform, and a future with gainful and permanent employment. What strategies have any of you employed to address this issue with the population you serve? Knowing the future is grim, but trying to convey one that isn’t almost feels unfair.

Building Community Partnerships to Serve Immigrant Workers – Casey Foundation