Program Components:

Recruitment/outreach/marketing

Business-community partnership

Evaluation data

Engineering/industrial technology

Fast Track to Work, Cabrillo College Women Ventures Project, Community

Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc.

Dena Taylor, Program Manager Helen Ewan-Storey, Program Director

831-479-6147 831-763-2147 x 211

detaylor@cabrillo.edu  wvp@cruzers.com

nontraditional educational and high wage workplace opportunities in construction

occupations.

organization, the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County (CAB), to support

educational and workplace opportunities for low-income women preparing for

construction occupations. The CAB’s Women Ventures Project (WVP) has developed a

5-week program that recruits and trains women who are at 200% of poverty level,

focusing on career exploration, physical conditioning, hands-on construction skills,

worker’s rights information, job placement assistance and case management.

Dena Taylor, Program Manager for Cabrillo College’s Fast Track To Work (FTTW)

program, is a CAB board member and liaison supporting collaborative efforts between the

nonprofit organization and the college. Cabrillo and WVP regularly refer students to each

other’s programs and services; the College sometimes provides classroom space for WVP

trainings; and Cabrillo is exploring the addition of a construction module to

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complement/enhance the WVP program. Together, the two programs work proactively to

understand what skills and knowledge employers in the construction industry want, and

then seek to prepare women for these high wage – high demand nontraditional career

options.

case manager/job service specialist. Cabrillo’s Fast Track To Work includes a program

manager, Services Coordinator, academic counselor and program specialist.

funds, County of Santa Cruz (CalWORKS & Workforce Investment Act), California

Community College Foundation and fundraising activities; Women Ventures Project –

CalWORKs, City and County of Santa Cruz, private foundations and fundraising

activities.

materials and outreach at service centers (e.g. County offices, food pantries, one-stop

center, etc.).

and earn wages averaging $17 or more per hour. Some WVP graduates enter Cabrillo for

advanced training in specific trades or skills (e.g. welding or sheet metal apprenticeships)

or to earn certificates and/or degrees.

WVP was awarded a Community Project Grant Award from Soroptimist International of

Santa Cruz in May 2005, and was included as part of the City of Santa Cruz’s Accessory

Dwelling Unit program award in 2004 from the League of California Cities (Helen

Putnam Award for Excellence).

Fast Track To Work has received commendations from the Manpower Demonstration

Research Corporation (2002), the Workforce Strategy Center (2002), and the Workforce

Investment Board of Santa Cruz County (2004) for providing excellent service to

participants. The program manager received the “Women Helping Women” Award from

the Santa Cruz Soroptimists in May 2004 for her work at the College and in the

community

other’s programs through site visits, sitting in on meetings and, if possible, joining Boards

of Directors. Also, work with the local Workforce Investment Board to ascertain local

labor market information for guidance in developing new training programs. Funding

agencies look favorable on local collaborations.