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Asian Neighborhood Design Provides Job Training and Opportunities |
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Begun nearly 30 years ago by Asian-American architecture students at the University of California-Berkeley to help local neighborhoods, Asian Neighborhood Design (A.N.D.) has expanded to serve a multicultural clientele. A.N.D. provides job training in cabinetmaking, carpentry, and other construction- and manufacturing-related areas to more than 100 low-income people each year. Most of the trainees, 70 percent currently, are African American; the rest are Hispanic, White, and Asian. Graduates of the training program, most of whom are former Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients, earn an average wage of $12.60 per hour, enabling them to find housing and live in the San Francisco/Oakland area. Berkeley students created A.N.D., a nonprofit corporation, to improve low-income housing and community spaces in the Bay Area's Asian neighborhoods. At its inception, A.N.D. primarily served Asian clients. Five years later, in 1978, A.N.D. started its job-training program to involve youth in making community improvements. Many of the early trainees were youth who had been involved in Chinatown gangs. To expand its training program and furniture manufacturing business, A.N.D. moved to Bayview-Hunter's Point, a largely industrial neighborhood with primarily low-income African-American residents, in 1985. A.N.D. recruited many local residents to the job-training program, extending its outreach efforts beyond the Asian community. Today A.N.D. provides services in architecture, planning, and housing and community development to more than 50 community groups a year, according to Janice Lee, A.N.D.'s community relations coordinator. A.N.D.'s mission is to advance community development programs and policies that empower, transform, and improve the lives of low-income and disenfranchised individuals and communities. "The organization expanded its services to multicultural communities based on the belief that different communities must help one another to achieve the well-being of all," says Lee. Expanded training options. The job-training program began with training in cabinetmaking, carpentry, and construction. "We are expanding our training to include AutoCAD [computer-aided design], Project Manager, and Computer Numeric Control Operator," says Tim Chupein, interim director of A.N.D. employment training. "Jobs in these fields are lucrative and in high demand." In addition, participants learn plumbing and electrical skills. Training is free. Of the approximately 200 people who apply annually to the program, 100 to 120 of them complete the training. "Most of those who do not finish have taken themselves out of the running by not attending meetings or training sessions," says Chupein. To be eligible, applicants must have low incomes according to California state guidelines, live in San Francisco or Oakland (where the training centers are located), and meet minimum qualifications on English as a Second Language, mathematics, and basic skills exams. A.N.D. accepts an unlimited number of people into the program as long as they have met all of the requirements. It receives some referrals from state and local social service agencies, but most applicants are referred by program graduates. On average, 35 to 40 percent of the trainees are women. Providing services for local groups. A new training class starts on the first Monday of each month. Participants begin by working on cabinetmaking or carpentry projects in the program's "practice house." Trainees also may work on jobs for local nonprofit groups—building Habitat for Humanity homes, constructing childcare or eldercare facilities, or retrofitting older buildings to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Community organizations pay only for materials, not labor. Trainees also enroll in life skills classes, which include mathematics and résumé preparation and interview skills. At the end of a successful second week, trainees become eligible for a stipend, transportation, and reimbursement for childcare costs. Job placement success. After the 12th week of the program, trainees meet with an A.N.D. job counselor to review evaluations from job supervisors. If progress is satisfactory, they receive job leads. A.N.D. works closely with local unions to ensure that trainees meet all requirements. Last year, the program successfully placed 90 percent of trainees who completed the program. Most leave the program between the 12th and 16th weeks as they find jobs. Graduates of the program also can gain experience using their newly acquired skills by working at A.N.D.'s Specialty Mill Products (SMP), a cabinet and furniture manufacturing business. SMP has two plants that manufacture beds, dressers, tables, armoires, lockers, stereo speakers, and other millworked items. Clients include local downtown businesses, affordable housing developers, and health clubs. A.N.D.'s annual budget is currently $10 million, 76 percent of which is derived from its cabinet manufacturing business and architectural and housing development fees. Fifteen percent comes from various government sources, and an additional 9 percent comes from foundations and private contributions. For more information, contact: Janice Lee, Community Relations Coordinator, Asian Neighborhood Design, 1182 Market Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA 94102, (415) 593–0423, ext. 212, www.andnet.org.
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