Project Welcome

Project Welcome was an employment-driven training initiative delivered by KCC’s CEWD in partnership with KCC’s Office of Continuing Education. Launched in February 2007, the program was made possible by a U.S. Department of Labor Community-Based Jobs Training Grant awarded to Kingsborough to train New York City residents in Tourism and Hospitality.
The program was free-of-charge and was open to the under- and unemployed and to career changers with an interest in pursuing careers in hospitality and food production. Project Welcome offered three training programs: Hospitality Operations and Management, Hospitality Event and Meeting Planning, and Food Service Operations. The 10-to-12 week training programs included certification test fees, books and supplies, internship opportunities and assistance with job placement. Project Welcome represented a new model for jobs training at Kingsborough; we have used the successful model since for other grant-funded initiatives.

Outcomes
Project Welcome is proud to have met, and exceeded all the projected outcomes outlined in the grant agreement with US DOL. Initially scheduled to enroll 520 participants, Project Welcome enrolled 798. The anticipated number of program graduates was 352 adults and 64 youths,  in the end, 495 adults and 115 youth completed training, earning industry specific certifications and CUNY Certificates of Completion.
Project Welcome employment specialists worked closely with participants and placed 295 graduates into employment, 239 of whom entered training related jobs and 207 of whom retained employment according to W.I.A. Common Measures. 50 youth participants entered employment and/or enrolled in college. 
Career Pathways: The development of a foodservice and hospitality food service career pathway allowed the job developers, staff and faculty better understand what jobs could result from Project Welcome training and how additional education, training and certifications could lead to higher wage jobs and movement up the career ladder.
Project Welcome Student Database: The database was created by CEWD to track common measures specific data required for DOL ETA reporting.
The Career Pathways, Virtual Enterprise Cyber Hotel case scenarios and student database were submitted to DOL as products for dissemination for the benefit of future grantees.
Employer Advisory Board meetings were held once to twice a year to communicate program outcomes, share best practices and seek input on training models and develop plans for sustainability.

Unanticipated Outcome
Articulation into college: To date, over 65 Project Welcome graduates have applied to KCC to pursue their Associates Degree in the department of Tourism and Hospitality.
Entrepreneurship and Ownership Track: Students had the opportunity to explore entrepreneurial opportunities through their participation in KCC’s Kitchen Incubator Program. Businesses developed as a result of this collaboration include Brooklyn Fudge, People’s Pops and Early Bird.
Successful sustainability, Dissemination and Program Replication: Building on the success of Project Welcome’s model, CEWD worked with NYC Small Business Services, Council Member Domenic Recchia and local CBO’s to develop a customized training program to meet the training and employment needs of the Coney Island community. In January 2010 CEWD launched Coney Island Project Welcome.
The Project Welcome model was also integrated into the CUNY Young Adult Program and has been adopted by SUNY Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center (BEOC).

CUNY Young Adult Program

The CUNY Young Adult Program (CYAP) was a partnership of three CUNY colleges – LaGuardia Community College (lead organization), Kingsborough Community College (KCC), and New York City College of Technology (City Tech). Each college offered a customized skills training program to prepare participants for employment. CYAP served participants between the ages of 18-24 who were not currently employed or enrolled in school, had their high school diplomas or GEDs, and demonstrated financial need.
Kingsborough Community College provided Food Service Operations and Hospitality Operations and Management training that emphasized hands-on skills and industry certifications.
LaGuardia Community College provided Business and Financial Services training, which included training in bank teller, bookkeeping, retail skills/customer services and basic computer operations (Microsoft Office Suite).
New York City College of Technology provided Construction-related and Facilities Management training in order to place participants in paid union apprenticeship positions as well as employment.
CYAP included an intensive assessment component, job development, bridge training, and case management.
Each student completed an E-portfolio and put together a Digital Story 21 of the E-Portfolios/Digital stories were posted online http://www.ive.cuny.edu/cyap/e-portfolio.php. Students learned how to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Movie Maker, how to conduct research using the internet and how to build an e-portfolio.

Green CUNY Young Adult Program

The Green CUNY Young Adult Program, funded by the New York State Department of Labor, was based on the successful CYAP program. Two components were added: a “green-awareness” piece focused on urban agriculture and the National Work Readiness Credential.
KCC Green CYAP offered training in Food Service Operations.  Training included a focus on hospitality and customer services.  The program was composed of college coursework, workshops and lectures that focused on workplace readiness, customer service and business operations.   Hands-on experience was further enhanced through internships and with virtual simulations that gave students an insider’s look on how a particular business operates.

The training also exposed young adults, 18-24 years old, to concepts of sustainability related to urban agriculture and entrepreneurship.  Weekly class topics enhanced their understanding of organic food, carbon footprint, recycling, composting, and other strategies for sustainable living.  Participants are able to connect what they learn in the classroom with real world experience through field trips to local farms and community gardens.