The survivor’s journey begins by enrolling in our 12-week Job Readiness Training Program. During this exploratory phase, clients participate in activities that clarify, inspire, and equip them for their future career. Over the three-month period, survivors begin to:

• Discover their unique abilities and interests
• Identify career ambitions
• Explore job opportunities in the community
• Learn important soft skills that employers look for in the hiring process, such as time management, assertiveness, conflict resolution, and teamwork
• Develop their personalized career plan – a concrete, step-by-step vision for reaching their vocational goals
• Meet with a career coach regularly to receive encouragement and assess their progress

By the end of the Equip phase, survivors are well on their way to vocational success and financial security. They know whom they are and where they want to go. And they have a customized plan and the necessary skills that will get them there.

Once equipped with hope, a concrete plan, and an awareness of the soft skills required for career success (Step 1), survivors often encounter one more obstacle that can keep them from a safe, well-paying job: the right education. Most of our clients are behind in school, many have not graduated from high school, and some have only attended elementary school. No matter how attractive they otherwise may be to employers, not having a basic education threatens their ability to achieve financial security.

So in phase two of the survivor’s journey, we connect clients with the educational opportunities they need to achieve their individual career dreams and goals. These may take the form of:

• Scholarships for high school or vocational schools
• Academic tutoring to help them catch up or obtain a GED-equivalent status
• Emotional support to help them get through the struggles of finishing their education

Armed with the necessary education, survivors now have the outlook, competencies, and the credibility to engage the employment process with confidence.

It’s a global truth: it’s not just what you know, it’s who you know. And so the last step of our program is to connect clients with the people, networks, and resources in their community that can best help them get the jobs they’ve worked so hard to prepare for.

We do this by engaging them in the following employment-related activities:

• Continued career coaching to support clients through challenges and setbacks along their journey to vocational success
• Job application and résumé support to help clients navigate intimidating application requirements
• Mock interviews to prepare students to excel in tough interviews
• Job referrals to connect clients to pre-screened companies that follow safe labor practices
• Temporary, part-time employment for our poorest clients who could not complete their education without immediate income

Now, equipped with newfound confidence, marketable skills, and ultimately, a good job, survivors can finally enjoy freedom. Forever.