Building Worker Power Through Workforce Development final 10-4-2024 - Flipbook - Page 8
S ITE PRO FI LE
SAN J OS E
W O R K E R O R G A N I Z AT I O N L E A D :
LOCAL
Working Partnerships USA (WPUSA)
The Work2Future (W2F) partnership focused on
incorporating regular worker rights education into the
existing public workforce infrastructure. In W2F’s
network, all currently enrolled adult (18+) clients were
encouraged to 昀椀ll out an application, and the
organization’s career counselors then narrowed this
pool to 11 participants.
P A R T N E R O R G A N I Z AT I O N S :
Working Partnerships USA connected a trained
attorney and facilitator to cohorts of participants
selected by three separate partner organizations:
Work2Future is San Jose’s Workforce Development
Board and Job Center for high-growth industries
and in-demand occupations paying a living wage.
Veggielution works to create connections by
providing both food and opportunity for neighbors
across Silicon Valley, including a programming
focused on organizing and leadership development
of immigrant food vendors. San Jose Conservation
Corps provides skills-based training and
professional development for transitional-aged
youth, already has existing cohorts.
P O P U L AT I O N S E R V E D :
CONTEXT PROGRAM ADAPTATIONS:
The partnership with Veggielution served 7 Spanishspeaking workers in the food service industry, which is
where some of the highest incidence of workers’ rights
violations occurs.
San Jose Conservation Corps had existing cohorts of
transitional-aged youth that provided a natural
pathway for 8 low-income youth to experience a
targeted, and testable approach for disseminating
comprehensive curricula on employee protections,
which they then can carry into future workplaces as
older adults.
26 workers participated, including the general
low-income population served by the Workforce
Development Board system, food service workers,
and transitional aged youth.
L O C A L E C O N O M I C C O N T E X T:
Santa Clara County is one of two counties that are
typically associated with Silicon Valley (the other is
San Mateo County). Santa Clara County is a mix of
urban and suburban communities with a primary
focus on tech and innovation.
“ Now I understand my rights as a worker, I feel confident knowing that we have
these rights and that we can ask for help when something unfair happens to
us at work.”
— Anonymous trainee
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B U I L D I N G W O R K E R P O W E R T H RO U G H W O R K FO RC E D E V E LO P M E N T
