We place special emphasis on the clients and businesses in the Tucson/South Tucson Enterprise Zone, the Pima County Enterprise Zone and the Tucson Empowerment Zone. These areas have the highest unemployment, poverty and dropout rates in the county. The highest percentage of low-income families also resides in these zones. We serve Pima County residents, youth between the ages of 14 and 24, adults,
and dislocated workers who meet eligibility guidelines. Pima County plans and operates the One-Stop System. SER is a major One-Stop contractor and provides trained and qualified staff to the One-Stop System. SER currently has staff assigned to the Kino and Rio Nuevo One-Stop Centers, Las Artes Arts & Education Center, DES and the Sullivan-Jackson Employment Center. Kino and Rio Nuevo One-Stop Career Centers: SER provides support and workforce development staff to the One-Stop Centers. We also have staff working with veterans and other special needs populations. Sullivan-Jackson Employment Center: SER staff provides housing and clothing assistance, employability skills training, job development, job placement and assessments for the homeless, especially veterans. SER Center: SER operates its youth and adult education programs at our center. Our ESL/BE program is approved by the state. Students may receive unemployment payments and/or continue receiving state assistance, if eligible, while in training
Summer and year-round education and work experience programs are administered from our center. We normally serve approximately four hundred (400) youth each year. Our In-school students represent some 15 public high schools and 12 charter schools. Summer education programs (Basic Education, Special Education & ESL) are conducted at Pueblo High School by SER instructors, counselors and support staff. Summer and year-round WEX programs provide entry-level on-the-job training for youth who have minimal or no work experience. SER’s partnering employers do not require past work experience a condition for employment. We have placed clients in at least three WIB target sectors; Emerging Technologies, Aerospace & Defense and Logistics. We established a weekend in-school program for Limited English proficient (LEP) students. This program provides basic language skills for recently arrived refugees from countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Burundi, Eritrea, Iraq, Kenya, Nepal, Sudan & Tanzania
Las Artes Arts and Education Center: SER staff is assigned to education and support positions at the Las Artes Arts and Education Center. Las Artes’s goal is to ensure that the participants receive the education to earn a GED and the work experience (through the Art Mural portion of the program) to gain employment in the private sector
MISSION STATEMENT
SER prepares clients for the workforce. Our philosophy is to treat persons as individuals who have different abilities, needs, goals and potentials. Participants are encouraged to experiment with the learning process in a positive classroom and workplace environment. SER’s educational programs simulate a work environment. AGENCY BACKGROUND
SER-Jobs for Progress of Southern Arizona, Inc., is a private non-profit organization offering comprehensive employment and training programs. SER has worked with Pima County’s dislocated and migrant workers, special populations, out-of-school youths, functional illiterates, monolingual persons and “at-risk” middle and high school students since 1968. Our core services consist of intake, certification, testing and assessment. We operate literacy, academic, summer high school credit and summer vocational training programs. Counseling, job development, case management and support services are an integral part of our programs. Our experience includes:
• Twenty years of experience in MDTA and CETA and fifteen years in JTPA designing and operating comprehensive delivery systems
• Participation in the One-Stop System since the inception of WIA
• Forty years experience working with the private sector, TUSD and SUSD developing specialized training and on-the-job training programs
The SER Bilingual-Bicultural Education System:
• Is supported by national and local experts in bilingual-bicultural education
• Relates to the client’s culture and is sensitive to bilingual education needs.
• Has five education departments: ESL, Basic Education, GED, high school and middle school and four placement activities: OJT, internships, work experience and upgrade training
• Adjusts to the changing employment needs of our community
The SER National Network was originally established by LULAC and the American G.I. Forum as a categorical program under MDTA to meet the employment needs of our nation’s Hispanic population. SER is a 501 c (3) Non-profit Organization funded by: Pima County and the Pima County Workforce Investment Board.
