The Workforce Development Program Participants pose with their graduating classmate Steven Andretta(third from right).
Congratulations Steven Andretta(third from right), the newest graduate from the Workforce Development Program at St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County!
Workforce Coordinator Monica Perez said, “Steve is a bright, dependable, and hard-working employee. He had a positive attitude that made him a pleasure to work with, which is one of the reasons he was so well liked by his co-workers.”
The Workforce Development Program at St. Vincent de Paul is a 24-week hybrid job-training and work-experience program. Participants work part-time at a St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County thrift store and attend paid, weekly classes taught by SVdP’s volunteer community mentors. Participants are taught the skills necessary to find and keep gainful employment. The program is especially targeted at people who are having trouble entering or re-entering the workforce, such as people with a history of homelessness or incarceration.
Perez said, “Steve’s confidence improved a lot. The more he learned, the more productive he felt, therefore more secure. He was more open to interacting with others. He built better communication skills and was able to convey his ideas and needs clearly and respectfully. He was always open to learning new things that could enhance his skills. In the process, Steve discovered hidden strengths and weaknesses that otherwise would have been left unknown.”
Congratulations Steven on finishing the program!
WFD program graduates have gone on to do great things, and we know Steven will be one of them. Some of our participants now work: for major manufacturing corporations, as the development director of a successful nonprofit, and even as community ambassadors helping connect those in need with services to help!
