BUILDING SKILLS PARTNERSHIP

Through its Digital Literacy Program, BSP integrates digital skills and vocational training to prepare immigrant janitors for 21st century jobs. Furthermore, helps workers to access online financial and healthcare services to improve their quality of life.

Outcomes: The Digital Literacy Program provides training on email, internet navigation, using spreadsheets, online banking, and navigating healthcare portals. Additionally, through virtual workforce training, BSP closes the distance learning gap for low-income immigrant workers who already faced digital literacy barriers prior to COVID-19.

The BSP’s English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are offered at Union Halls in San Jose, Sacramento, Oakland, Los Angeles, and Orange County for janitors and other low-wage service workers. Classes are offered in three-month blocks, with periods of 24-30 hours of instruction offered by experienced teachers. Classes use a learner-centered curriculum for teaching Survival and Vocational English to students of all levels, and tutors support instruction in this multi-level setting. Participants in these classes learn to navigate community resources and to communicate with doctors, their children’s teachers, and in their broader communities. Through these ESL classes, the BSP is able to reach workers who do not have ADVANCE English and job skills classes available at their worksites, though some who participate in ADVANCE choose to supplement their instruction by also attending these Union Hall ESL courses.

With the support from many partners including the California Wellness Foundation, BSP incorporates health education into every ADVANCE worksite English class and also offers stand-alone health workshops at worksites and union halls.  BSP’s curriculum includes thematic units, ranging from diabetes to stress management, that address the most pressing health concerns of our students.  In addition, culturally competent guest speakers visit the classes on occasion to speak about access to health care, recommend preventative strategies, answer participants’ questions, and make appropriate referrals. BSP also offers occupational safety information on an as needed basis. Participants can discuss and learn about potential health risks to workers such as exposure to chemicals and human pathogens, ergonomic and repetitive stress injuries, slips and falls. In 2010, BSP partnered with Kaiser Permanente, the Labor Occupational Health Program, Street Level Health Project among other organizations to bring up-to-date and cultural competent health information to over 300 workers. In December 2010, BSP held its first health fair in Los Angeles, where we were able to offer not only health education and information, but also conduct blood pressure and glucose level screenings to the over 180 participants.
 
BSP has recently launched a pilot project that will develop peer health advocates (promotores) as part of our comprehensive approach to health education. Due to their unique and effective connections to communities, the promotores or health advocates model has proven to be highly effective for preventive campaigns and to create healthier communities. Promotores are community members who speak the same language, understand the culture, are familiar with the needs of their neighborhoods and worksites, and are trained in health education.

Every summer, the BSP runs its Annual Parent Education Workshops for the members of SEIU-USWW who are parents of school-aged children. The workshops are geared toward informing members on how they can become involved in their children’s education with the goal of attaining higher education. The workshops cover basic information about the Los Angeles school system with topics as basic as how to read a child’s report card to the class requirements for entering a 4-year college or university. As part of its Parent Education Program, the BSP hosted its first Parent-Leader Lost-Time position from July 12 to August 10, 2010 with the contributions and collaboration of SEIU-USWW and its LTTF Fund.

The goal of the month-long position was to develop the organizing, speaking and leadership skills of a member parent of SEIU-USWW  so that s/he may create awareness of the importance of parents’ involvement in their children’s education. The parent member would organize and deliver workshops at various worksites across Los Angeles during members’ lunch breaks and on two Saturdays in August where more complete information would be covered. Moreover, the Parent Leader Lost-Timer would help create a parent committee so as to involve key leaders who could further develop the Parent Education and Involvement Program for SEIU-USWW through the support of BSP.

The Green Janitor Education Program is an environmental education program for janitors resulting in green certification. The program provides hands-on energy management and green cleaning training to address the operations and maintenance practices that enable buildings to meet green performance standards. The Green Janitor Education Program was designed and piloted in collaboration with Building Skills Partnership, the U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles Chapter, the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Los Angeles, industry experts, building owners, and SEIU-United Service Workers West.

IDC provides training on (1) cleaning standards that meet or exceed CDC and EPA guidelines, (2) worker health & safety, and (3) effective cleaning and disinfection protocols. Additionally, the program integrates green cleaning strategies developed by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) “Safety First: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Space” program.

Outcomes: IDC upskills underserved immigrant workers during a time of economic crisis, and through the implementation of janitorial standards, protocols, and control measures, IDC enables commercial buildings and businesses to safely operate.

Through financial workshops, personalized coaching and counseling, and taxpayer assistance, BSP’s Financial Capabilities Program helps low-income workers improve their financial health.

Outcomes: Through product-based financial education, participants establish financial goals, translate goals into savings objectives, create household budgets, identify banking options, and learn strategies to improve their credit scores. Additionally, through one-on-one coaching, workers enroll in free or low-cost savings and credit-building tools. Furthermore, through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) service, BSP helps clients file their taxes for free and use their returns to build savings.

Through its Civic Engagement/Citizenship Program, BSP offers pathways to citizenship and active civic engagement to its largely immigrant worker service population. BSP also provides civic leadership training (voting and census participation).

Outcomes: Program participants receive: Know Your Rights education, DACA and N-400 application assistance, anti-fraud education, and citizenship exam preparation assistance, education on state benefits (such as CA driver’s licenses and the CA Dream Act), power of attorney letter preparation assistance, and and pro bono legal education. Program participants also receive civic leadership training to promote civic engagement with their communities.