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South Bend Redevelopment Commission <br />Regular Meeting –September 4, 2009 <br /> <br />6. NEW BUSINESS (CONT.) <br /> <br />B. Airport Economic Development Area <br /> <br />(3) continued… <br /> <br />population of ex-offenders returning to the <br />community in need of employment as well as <br />other hard core unemployed. <br /> <br />The methodology of the initiative is to <br />provide life skills and job readiness training, <br />identify the employment needs of businesses <br />located within the AEDA and UEZ, arrange <br />for the employees to receive technical job <br />skills training, and provide job coaches to <br />mentor and support employees after hiring. <br /> <br />Project Impact was clear about the <br />participation criteria. The program was <br />meant for hard to employ people. Applicants <br />were given an orientation, stressing the level <br />of commitment necessary and then attended a <br />five-day boot camp to weed out those not <br />serious about making changes to their lives <br />and behavior. Even after those qualifiers, <br />there were nearly twice as many participants <br />as Mr. Summers and Mr. Blake had <br />anticipated. Eighty-two participants have <br />taken training; sixty-three have graduated <br />from the program; fifty-three participants had <br />felonies; twenty-three live within the AEDA <br />or UEZ; sixteen participants are working <br />(some of those while still training); and six <br />companies from the UE or AEDA are <br />employing the participants or graduates. <br />Though participation and graduation have <br />exceeded original goals, the percentage of <br />participants residing in the AEDA or UEZ <br />has not reached the goal of 50%. As of now, <br />the rate is 40%. <br /> <br /> 8 <br /> <br />