Careers Come Out of Street Tech

Careers Come Out of Street Tech: SAN PABLO: Program Tries to Help Those in Poverty Find Employment Opportunity
By Kimberly S. Wetzel, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.
Dec. 27--When Andrea Ceja first heard about the Street Tech computer training program, she immediately thought it would be a great opportunity for a friend seeking a career.
But after speaking to a Street Tech instructor, the 24-year-old Richmond resident realized she could benefit as well.
"I didn't know how to use a computer; I didn't know how to make a resume," the former stay-at-home mom said. "I didn't even know how to browse the Internet."
Figuring she had nothing to lose and a lot to gain, she went for it.
After several months of intensive computer training, Ceja graduated recently from Street Tech with advanced certification in computer programming. She now plans to take another advanced class through the program so she can start a career as a desktop technician.
Street Tech, Ceja said, has changed her life.
"I feel very good about computers, and I feel better about myself," she said.
Since 2000, San Pablo-based Street Tech has helped hundreds of adults from around the Bay Area earn certification in various types of computer training and programming at low or no cost. The only prerequisites are that prospective students live in California and come from a low-income household ($64,100 annually for a family of four) or are at risk, meaning they've had trouble with drugs, alcohol or have had involvement in the justice system.

"The whole purpose of the program is to get people caught in the cycles of poverty into a viable career," said Barrie Hathaway, executive director of Street Tech.
In addition to computer training, Street Tech offers comprehensive instruction on how to dress and behave in a work environment. Students are required to come to school in business casual clothing, and they have their own cubicles. They are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and will be kicked out for misbehaving.
"The program is designed for someone who could never be successful in a traditional program," Hathaway said. "Those are the people we're trying to help."
Street Tech also arms graduates with resumes, business cards, an internship, free computer equipment, interview and work clothes, their own Web sites and blogs, and memberships to several career and social networking sites.
"Really, the sky's the limit for these folks if they're willing to take advantage of what we have to offer," Hathaway said.
The program also teaches students how to advance their own certification, and unlike many other technical schools, it focuses less on a rigid program and more on students' individual needs. Street Tech is the only organization of its kind in the Bay Area, Hathaway said, and classes are capped at 15 people, so there is a lot of personal interaction. Classes are offered year-round and last from 14 to 22 weeks depending on the level of certification sought.
Street Tech was created after founders noticed that gang members had no career options. The program has served more than 500 people and relies on funding through the state Employment Department, other state and federal agencies and private donations.
Recently, the East Bay Community Foundation, a Bay Area endowment organization, offered Street Tech a $25,000 grant with the stipulation that the program raise matching funds by the end of the year. Street Tech is currently seeking help from the public so it can continue to help people such as Ceja.
"The course has really helped me out in a lot of ways," Ceja said. "Technology has really turned me around."
Reach Kimberly S. Wetzel at 510-262-2798 or kwetzel@cctimes.com.
HOW TO HELP
--WHAT: Street Tech is a nonprofit organization that offers low- or no-cost computer training for adults 18 and older who are from disadvantaged communities in the Bay Area.
--DONATING MONEY: The organization just earned a $25,000 grant from the East Bay Community Foundation but to collect the money, it must have matching funds by the end of the year. To donate or for details, go to streettech.org/index.asp or call 510-234-1300.
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Copyright (c) 2006, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.
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Source: Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)