Project QUEST Announces Applicant Information Sessions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2012

Leslie Werline                                                                    

Public Relations

Project QUEST

werlinelm@yahoo.com

Project QUEST Announces Applicant Information Sessions

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April 19, 2012 – Project QUEST has released the information regarding three upcoming applicant information sessions, which are required for all who are interested in seeking assistance from Project Quest.

The three upcoming applicant information sessions will be held at 1 p.m. on May 7, May 29, and June 14 at the Sacred Heart Civic Center on 2123 W. Commerce. If interested, call Project QUEST to reserve a seat.

“The information session is a crucial portion of the process to enrollment within Project Quest,” said Lelani Mercado, director of participant services.” The test and first interview are held within the session and can be a determining factor in the applicant’s certification”

The Project QUEST information session is designed to help applicants understand the history and goals of Project Quest while also explaining the different opportunities offered and how these opportunities may match the applicant’s individual goals.

The information session is a four hour program consisting of a Test of Adult Basic Education and intake and assessment. This session is the first step in determining whether an applicant will be certified and recommended for a final interview with the Participant Evaluation Team.

At the information session, applicants are required to take the Test of Adult Basic Education, regardless of past entrance exams to college. This test, developed by McGraw Hill, was designed to measure each applicants current reading and math skills. 

The scores from this test do not signify a pass or fail result, they are simply used as a tool to determine the best pathway for individual success.

The intake and assessment portion is the first interview in the certification process. This is an individual meeting with an academic counselor and is required in order to discuss the results of the Test of Basic Adult Education while also developing a degree plan and career goals.

The counselor will complete an assessment of the applicant’s interests and background which will help determine the decision for recommendation of the final interview.

The final interview will determine whether the applicant will receive certification for Project QUEST programs.

Created in 1993, Project QUEST has helped meet the needs of San Antonio area business by training local residents who would otherwise be on the use of public assistance and not in the San Antonio workforce. This innovative job training program has earned statewide and national attention as a model for local workforce development efforts. 

For additional information, visit the Project QUEST website: http://www.questsa.org

###

Project QUEST makes a difference in the community

By Karen Becerril

Project QUEST, Inc. has helped students complete their educational program and successfully graduate with a diverse choice in degrees and certifications.

Richard Saldana graduated from St. Phillips College with an associate degree in applied science April 2011after completing the program I-BEST. Project QUEST helped him with tuition, books and tools costs.

Alexa Cavazos, academic specialist, said they also provided Saldana with guidance and structured environment to help him achieve his goals.

“When he came to us, he didn’t have much,” said Cavazos. “He is now going for a bachelor’s degree in engineering.”

Cavazos also said it's very rewarding to see the transformation. People go in unemployed with little to no college education, and leave with a degree or certification.

Saldana is currently working for Holt Cat.

“Project QUEST helped me to better my life,” said Saldana. “I was able to go to college, get a degree, and find a great job.”

Saldana highly recommends Project QUEST to those who have no career or are unemployed. He said the staff is very friendly and helpful throughout the enrollment process.

The enrollment process consists of information sessions presented by the Director Participant Services Lelani Mercado, Recruitment Coordinator Valentina Arevalo, and Academic Specialist Cavazos along with other staff members.

For more information about Project QUEST and its programs visit http://www.questsa.org/

I-BEST assists Alamo Colleges students

I-BEST assists Alamo Colleges students

 By Chelsea Gonzales

I-BEST is a training program provided by The Alamo Colleges to provide employment assistance and training to students who require basic skill development in order to succeed in technical training.

I-BEST stands for integrated basic education and skills training.  Students in these programs enter college-level training without needing to first complete developmental training.

Students enrolled in I-BEST programs benefit from technical training that is combined with reading, writing, math, or English language skills needed for college training.

Some of the training programs include health services direct patient care, health services non-patient care, manufacturing/construction/logistics, and information technology.

Although students are not required to complete developmental training to enter the program, there are other requirements that must be met.

“The qualifications are pretty strict,” said Dayna De Hoyos, administration and assessment specialist.  “You have to be one of these three: unemployed, dislocated, making low wages, or under skilled.”

Those are not the only qualifications that must be met to enter the I-BEST program.

“The other qualification requires you to be one of these,” said Hoyos.  “You have to have limited English, under skilled, a military veteran, a high school dropout, disabled, or Native American.”

The program enters an enrolled student into a five-week course where they will have two instructors per class.  There is one instructor for the basic training and one instructor for the technical training, all at the same time for just one class.

“The students are getting double the education and double the information,” said Hoyos. “And they must be fully devoted to the program for all five weeks.”

 What makes the I-BEST program different from others is that it offers support services to the students.  The education case manager helps students connect with student services to help get financial aid, and if a student is a veteran they can receive help from Project QUEST.

Post training, I-BEST provides three services that help connect students with employment.

“We have Goodwill, Workforce Solutions, and Career Finders,” said Hoyos.  “So we don’t just drop the student once they are trained, we try to help them find employment.”

Alamo I-BEST holds weekly information sessions for students and the community to learn more about the program.

Any students or members of the community who want to learn more information about I-BEST should visit http://www.alamo.edu/ibest/ 

On a QUEST to help unemployed locals

By Sarah Keifer

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one-fourth of San Antonio residents age 25 and over don’t have a high school diploma. Around 24 percent only have a high school or GED diploma.

              
This is above the national average of 43 percent of adults in the country who have no education beyond high school.

Thankfully, Project QUEST Inc., a nonprofit based in San Antonio, is providing a program for hard-working people who are living in economically disadvantaged areas. Their goal: to define the skills required to succeed in targeted, hard-to-fill occupations and recruit, train and develop adults so that they’re qualified and ready to fill industry needs.

“I’m excited about this opportunity,” said Aja Stillwater, a participant in the program. “My goal is to become a registered nurse, and that’s something I probably couldn’t do without the help of Project QUEST.”

Eligibility

But can anyone just walk in and find training? The answer is no; there are a few requirements that must be met first.

To be eligible for the program, you have to be a U.S. citizen or legal resident, have a high school diploma or GED certificate and be able to commit to long-term training. You are not allowed to have a degree in a demand occupation and upon graduation, it is required to become directly employed in San Antonio in the occupation that you were trained in.

If you meet these requirements, an information session for the program is the first step. These are held at Project QUEST on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-10 a.m. and twice a month throughout the community

First Thing's First

The information session will go in depth about the program itself, and once that’s completed, everyone is required to take the Test of Adult Basic Education which tests math and reading only. This test is not scored, but it gives guidance to the best pathway for your success. 

A counselor will then sit down with you and go over your financial, legal and education history, as well as the results of the test, to develop a degree plan. Once that’s in place, the certification staff will review all the documents to determine certification for the program.

The last step is a final interview to assure readiness for school and a partnership with Project QUEST. The Participant Evaluation Team will then send all the paperwork, along with a recommendation to be approved for classes to begin.

Valentina Arevalo, recruitment coordinator, says that around 90 percent of people who go to the information sessions proceed through the program.

The Learning Begins Here

Project QUEST is partnered with Alamo Colleges, Baptist School of Health Professions, and Universityof Texas Health and Science Center to provide the education necessary for your career of interest.  

Once training is completed, you’ll be offered job search and placement services. QUEST staff will be there to help with resume writing and interview techniques.

Once a full-time job is acquired, transportation assistance, childcare and counseling are made available through Project QUEST to for up to 90 days to ensure you remain employed and you’re able to maximize earnings. They’ll also be in contact for the next 18 months to stay updated on how the job is going and to collect employment information.

“There is no better feeling than seeing these struggling people succeed in our program,” said Valentina. “They’re really able to turn their lives around and find a way to provide support for their families.”