From the CEO
Creating, Developing & Securing the TalentForce
Spring 2008
This year will mark the 9th anniversary for Project ARRIBA! What an awesome opportunity it is to serve the community of El Paso. As a nationally recognized organization, we strive to provide unparalleled client services in the area of workforce training leading to economic development.
The organization has efficiently, effectively and pro-actively changed the model for workforce programs. Project ARRIBA has been recognized for its’ award-winning long-term training and case management services that permanently remove families from poverty. Last year Project ARRIBA graduated 122 participants, and had an academic retention rate of 96%, both more than any other year in program history. The average time it takes to train a participant into a living wage, in demand career is 2.6 years. The organization has been recognized and awarded as the state’s top workforce development program with communities over 100,000 in population by the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC). Other notable achievements include being named in the top ten percent of the nation as recognized by the Harvard Innovation in Government Award, and the U.S. Department of Commerce has placed Project ARRIBA in the Top Twenty programs in the nation that represent workforce innovation and economic adjustment strategies.
The project works by starting with the needs of the local employer who is willing to pay a living wage of at least $11 per hour, identifying what barriers the community faces in filling these positions, and finally recognizing the capacity for local training providers so that all three have a seamless and fruitful partnership. The result, to date the organization has graduated 549 participants into great jobs here in our community with average wages over $33,000 a year! Local, state and federal government, foundations, employers, graduates and individuals have invested in the projects’ human capital campaign and training providers have recognized the importance of the organizations’ unique retention solutions.
We have a strategic alliance with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the El Paso Community College (EPCC) to train our participants in demand careers like nursing, allied health, education, and information technology. Our participants are developed for the workplace via the program’s exceptional Vision, Initiative & Perseverance (VIP) group meetings. Retention and wrap around services are provided by the projects’ client services team and include support for tuition, books, materials, supplies, childcare and other assistance as needed.
Our organization produces results that benefit El Paso and the surrounding region of New Mexico, Texas and Ciudad Juarez. Per an independent study in 2007 by the Institute for Policy & Economic Development (IPED) they found that our program graduates have added $185.30 million in income to El Paso’s economy. It was also noted that for every dollar invested into the program since program inception (1999), on average $16.09 is returned to the community of El Paso. Last year’s independent audit found that 85 cents of every dollar went toward the direct training and support of program participants of Project ARRIBA.
On behalf of Project ARRIBA, I thank you for visiting our website and hope to see you in person soon! Should you have any questions or comments about our program, please feel free to contact me at rortiz@projectarriba.org.
Thank you,
Roman S. Ortiz
Chief Executive Officer
