1 WeCAN Works Presentation Monday, December 14, 2009

2 Microsoft and City of Houston Public-Private Partnership The partnership originated through request from Mayor Bill White to partner with Microsoft around the City’s digital inclusion and education Initiatives (Expectation Graduation). The result of that request is a public-private partnership, announced officially in July 2008 (Microsoft Worldwide Partnership Conference), which encompasses Microsoft’s support of the following: 1) The development of a Citywide Resource Portal ($30K), and 2) An Unlimited Potential (UP) multi-year grant award of $4.5M ($200K cash; $4.3M Software) in support of the April 2009 launch of WeCAN Works, the workforce capacity training solution for WeCAN.  The UP grant award is the largest software grant awarded by Microsoft and the City of Houston was only 1 of 3 awardees for the 2009 fiscal year. The UP grant award: 1) Enables the ability to more quickly and aggressively rollout WeCAN Works; 2) Creates more awareness and participation among existing service agencies; and as result, 3) Increases the overall number of people and organizations that will benefit from WeCAN and WeCAN Works. Microsoft shares in our goal to equip underserved individuals with the IT skills necessary to enter the workforce and through the grant is enabling more than 160,000 Houstonians to be impacted over the two year period and works towards establishing WeCAN Works as a workforce readiness model for other cities to emulate. 2 BACKGROUND

3 WeCAN Works is the mobilization of an entire city to acquire workforce skills and work. As the workforce capacity building training solution of WeCAN, WeCAN Works will train and prepare Houston’s underserved, unemployed and unskilled populations for work. The initiative includes core offerings of digital literacy training, job readiness training, internships, career counseling, job referral, and job placement, leveraging the established city and community network of over 400 training and community technology centers citywide. The initiative targets students at risk of dropping out of school and Houston’s population of approximately 180,000 youth and adults who are unemployed and the over 300,000 adults without a GED or High school Diploma. The initiative works through strategic partnerships with experts and leaders in the field of education and workforce development, which include Microsoft, Houston Independent School District, Houston Community College, WorkForce Solutions and Greater Houston Partnership. Promotion and awareness, registration and training opportunities will be made available through the Citywide Community Resource Portal and the HPL Mobile Express “workforce mobile”. 3 TRACK I Goal Statement Target, place and train, at-risk high school students to prepare them to enter workforce in a high demand, high growth field. TRACK II Goal Statement Target drop outs and unemployed individuals and prepare them to take the GED test, obtain career counseling and to get a job. TRACK III Goal Statement Provide workforce skills training to underserved and unskilled population at large. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4 4 Help Desk PC Install/Repair Technical Service/Sales Dispatch/Call Management High School Diploma Accredited Credential in English/Language Arts, Reading; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies and Other Coursework Employment Opportunities 36 weeks 4 days/week 2+ hrs/session 320 hours Web Developer Technical Support Network Administration Database Development $18+/hr Post Secondary Education Two or four year career path $6.55-$8.94/ hr Fast Food Retail Services Cashier Employment Opportunities Track I End User Education & Employment Opportunities WORKFORCE READINESS TRAINING Personal and Professional Development & Counseling/ Focus on Jobs Skills Training WeCAN Works Career & Technical Education Instructor-led academic and technical training and certification High School Diploma Accredited Credential in English/Language Arts, Reading; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies and Other Coursework $12.15–$17.79/ hr

5 5 IT Apprenticeship Hands-on jobs-skills training in a high demand high growth fields Career & Technical Education Career & Technical Education Instructor-led academic and technical training and certification 48 weeks 5days/week 7hrs/session 1,680 hours Post Graduation Job or Higher Education Track I End User Workforce Skills Training Path 36 weeks 4 days/week 2+ hrs/session 320 hours Workforce Readiness Training Personal and Professional Development & Counseling/ Focus on Jobs Skills Training Immediate Employment or Two or Four Year Career Track 36 weeks 4 days/week 2+ hrs/session 320 hours

6 6 Office Clerical Customer Service Call Center Track II End User Education & Employment Opportunities WeCAN Works Digital Literacy & Workforce Readiness Skills Training 12 weeks 4 days/week 3 hours/sessions 144 hours WeCAN Works General Educational Development Coursework & Certification $10.29–$12.48/hr 6 weeks 1+ days/week 3 hrs/sessions 18+ hours Advanced Level Training Technical or vocational training and certification path Fast Food Retail Services Cashier Employment Opportunities Help Desk PC Install/Repair Technical Service/Sales Dispatch/Call Management $13.90–$17.79/ hr Employment Opportunities $6.55-$8.94/ hr

7 7 Digital Literacy Training Fundamentals of basic computing and Internet General Education Development Coursework & Certification Preparation Classes in Language Arts, Writing; Language Arts, Reading; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies 12 weeks 4days/week 5hrs/session 240 hours Job Placement Job or Continuing Education Track II End User Workforce Skills Training Path 5 weeks 1 days/week 3 hrs/session 15 hours Workforce Readiness Training Personal and Professional Development & Counseling/ Focus on Jobs Skills Training Immediate Employment or Advanced Level Vocational Training 1 week 2 days/week 2+ hrs/session 4 hours

8 8 Office Clerical Customer Service Call Center Track III End User Education & Employment Opportunities WeCAN Works Digital Literacy & Workforce Readiness Skills Training $10.29–$12.48/hr 6 weeks 1+days/week 3 hrs/session 18+ hours Advanced Level Training Technical or vocational training and certification path Employment Opportunities Help Desk PC Install/Repair Technical Service/Sales Dispatch/Call Management $13.90–$17.79/ hr Employment Opportunities

9 9 Digital Literacy Training Fundamentals of basic computing and Internet Post Training Path Advanced Level Training Track III End User Workforce Skills Training Path 5 weeks 1 day/week 3 hrs/sessions 15 hours Workforce Readiness Training Personal and Professional Development & Counseling Focus on Jobs Skills Training Technical and vocational certification 1 week 2 days 2 hrs/sessions 4 hours

10 WeCAN Works is the mobilization of an entire city to acquire workforce skills and work. As the workforce capacity building training solution of WeCAN, WeCAN Works will train and prepare Houston’s underserved, unemployed and unskilled populations for work. A NECESSARY INITIATIVE…

11 PREPARING OUR CURRENT & FUTURE WORKFORCE TRACK I Goal Statement Target, place and train, at-risk high school students to prepare them to enter workforce in a high demand, high growth field. WeCAN Works is the mobilization of an entire city to acquire workforce skills and work. As the workforce capacity building training solution of WeCAN, WeCAN Works will train and prepare Houston’s underserved, unemployed and unskilled populations for work.

12 WeCAN Works is the mobilization of an entire city to acquire workforce skills and work. As the workforce capacity building training solution of WeCAN, WeCAN Works will train and prepare Houston’s underserved, unemployed and unskilled populations for work. TRACK II Goal Statement Target drop outs and unemployed individuals and prepare them to take the GED test, obtain career counseling and to get a job. PREPARING OUR CURRENT & FUTURE WORKFORCE

13 WeCAN Works is the mobilization of an entire city to acquire workforce skills and work. As the workforce capacity building training solution of WeCAN, WeCAN Works will train and prepare Houston’s underserved, unemployed and unskilled populations for work. TRACK III Goal Statement Provide workforce skills training to underserved and unskilled population at large. PREPARING OUR CURRENT & FUTURE WORKFORCE

14 WeCAN Works is the mobilization of an entire city to acquire workforce skills and work. As the workforce capacity building training solution of WeCAN, WeCAN Works will train and prepare Houston’s underserved, unemployed and unskilled populations for work. BENEFITS TO THE PARTICIPANTS….

15 WeCAN Works is the mobilization of an entire city to acquire workforce skills and work. As the workforce capacity building training solution of WeCAN, WeCAN Works will train and prepare Houston’s underserved, unemployed and unskilled populations for work. IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY ….

16 Track I Identified and placed WeCAN Works CTE students for participation in Fall apprenticeship/job placement opportunities in public and private entities across the city. (October 2009) o Secured summer job placement for WeCAN Works CTE students as a precursor to Fall apprenticeship/job placements (June 2009) Launched workforce preparedness job seminars for (CTE) participants and will launch training for parents in January 2010; Coordinating digital literacy training opportunities for parents to launch in January Track II Launched ABE/GED preparatory classes at 7 targeted HPL/WeCAN sites citywide and - preparing for continued expansion in January Track III Adopted and integrated Microsoft digital literacy curriculum as standard curriculum for use by Houston Public Library system; Began use of Microsoft digital literacy and Unlimited Potential curriculum for all digital literacy training classes system wide. Gearing up for phased rollout of expanded Microsoft Digital Literacy training sessions across the HPL system. Launched over 2000 workforce job skills seminars across the city. Software Distribution Began phased implementation of distribution and installation of software to 100 HPL, WeCAN and partner sites citywide. Portal Launched pilot of Citywide Community Resource Portal (April 2009) These efforts have yielded impact to more than 100,000 underserved, unemployed and unskilled Houstonians!!! MILESTONES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS & NEXT STEPS