Nonprofit Helps Students Navigate Challenges in Work and Life

This post is a part of a series showcasing Silicon Valley organizations that champion positive change in our community.

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Poverty can be difficult to escape, so JobTrain was created to fulfill a critical need: job preparedness for those wanting to work. JobTrain Executive Director Sharon Williams, who first worked for the organization as a GED instructor, is driven by a mission to transform people’s lives through both technical and life skills training.

The organization trains high school graduates for professions in growing fields such as computer and wireless technology service and solar panel installation, to name a few. JobTrain also addresses the social and cultural adjustments impoverished individuals have to make in order to navigate a corporate environment. High school students come to JobTrain to become proficient in audio-video and computer applications, and a pre-school cares for students at their most impressionable time.

JobTrain reports that 75% of its graduates are placed in quality jobs, and 99% of these individuals are still working or have been promoted within 6 months of graduation. How big a deal is a "job" at JobTrain?  Check out their unique way of celebrating job placements in this motivational documentary. Energized? "Like" this video clip and encourage members of your social network to also "like" it to increase JobTrain’s chance at winning the Microsoft Video Challenge.