Important note: The following recommendation was approved by the Board of Supervisors on July 7, 2015. The Board provided additional funding on June 27, 2017, to further assist the program (see below for report).
DISTRICT 4 (Supervisor Warren Slocum)
FY 2015-17 Measure A Request One East Palo Alto Sponsored Employment Program $30,000 one-time
One East Palo Alto’s Sponsored Employment Program (SEP) is a summer employment program for vulnerable low-income youth and young adults in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park. For SEP participants, the program is their gateway to the working world. For most, it gives them access to their first job, their first paycheck, their first understanding of what it means to be an employee, to work as a team, to show up willingly, and to be responsible for their efforts.
These youth want to work, to contribute to family expenses, and to have a real and meaningful work experience. In addition to high quality work experience, the program provides job skills training, mentoring relationships and community connectedness opportunities for the participants. The program runs for six weeks and participants work 30 hours a week for a stipend of $9 per hour.
SEP keeps young people engaged, teaches them skills, builds their selfrespect, and teaches them the value of earning a paycheck. SEP participants have gone on to successfully compete in the job market. Many achieve full time employment that would not have been possible if they had not had the valuable support and experience gained in SEP. One East Palo Alto submitted a Letter of Intent for Measure A funding for a Summer Youth Jobs Initiative for $380,000 which was not recommended for funding.
The Human Services Agency has an existing agreement with One East Palo Alto for SEP services for the term of July 1, 2015 to July 31, 2017. The agreement provides stipends and parttime employment to 10 youth in FY 2015-16 for $30,000, and 5 youth in FY 2016-17 for $15,000 for a two-year total of $45,000. The Agency is reducing the contract because its costs are not claimable under existing state/federal funding sources. This additional $30,000 one-time allocation will serve 10 more youth in FY 2015-16.
With Board approval, the Director of the Human Services Agency or her designee will be directed to amend the current agreement to a new total of $75,000. The amendment will also include a payment schedule that provides funds once a list of youth participants is provided, along with proof of residence in the county and current enrollment in a public assistance program.
Important note: This is a copy of the official report -- item 5 on the Board's agenda.