remain. Our long term commitment to disenfranchised youth will continue. The Hawaii Job Corps, for 25 years, has been the Federal Government's commitment to the youth of the Pacific, to insure quality education, training and support in the battle against poverty and despair. On behalf of the Hawaii Job Corps program, our students and graduates mahalo nui loa for your time and support. Senator INOUYE. I am certain you are aware, Mr. Dugan, that 2 days ago the Office of Technology Assessment of the Congress of the United States released a long-awaited report on the Hawaii of the young men and women of the United States. It was a staggering report. It was a sad one, but one that all Americans should face up to. But among other things, it noted that about one-third of the young men and women of the United States have either considered or attempted suicide. This compares with 17 percent in Hawaii. One would not consider suicide as one of the alternatives in paradise, but apparently 17 percent of our young people have considered that. Throughout the Nation and also in Hawaii, 40 percent have indicated that they have problems at home; either their parents are alcoholic or they are victims of child abuse. It is a whole myriad of problems at home. Another 40 percent in Hawaii and also in the Nation have said they use alcohol. I can assure you that the work you are doing is just what we need in this Nation, and I am certain this committee will take note of the report that OTA just issued. I for one was rather staggered by the Hawaii report, and you can be assured that we will do our best to make certain that the health, not just the physical but the mental and social health of the youth of Hawaii and the Nation improve, because they are essentially the leaders of tomorrow, and if that is the status of our leadership as of this moment we are in real deep trouble. So I thank you very much for your participation. I thank you very much for the work you are doing. Mr. DUGAN. Thank you, Senator. Mr. DUGAN. Ms. Naauao. STATEMENT OF CLAUDETTE NAAUAO Ms. NAAUAO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for this opportunity to share with you and the subcommittee an update of the Department's Jobhelp Store project. You have before you my written statement on the Jobhelp Store and employment service automation, but this morning I would like to briefly summarize and provide some highlights from my testimony on the Jobhelp Store. Senator INOUYE. I would like to assure all witnesses that their complete statements will be made part of the record. Ms. NAAUAO. The Jobhelp Store is an employment and training project to help Asian immigrants and Pacific Islanders in Hawaii to acquire the English fluency, basic education, skill training, and support services needed to successfully obtain and retain suitable and rewarding employment. We are deeply grateful for your continued support and funding of the Jobhelp Store. I am happy to report this morning that in the 20 months since inception of the project in July 1989, we are experiencing an overwhelming success in serving this target group. Our accomplishments are exceeding our expectations in every way and we fully expect this trend to continue. To date 1,600 immigrants and Pacific Islanders have been served. Over 400 have been placed in jobs and another 500 are currently being trained to enter employment. The experiences and success of Jobhelp Store clients have circulated widely in the immigrant community, generating great interest and increasing numbers of immigrants applying for assistance. In Hawaii's thriving and labor-short economy, employers have responded eagerly and positively to this influx of trained workers. They report a great deal of satisfaction with the productivity, attitude, and especially the high motivation and good work habits of these workers. The heart of the project continues to be the initial contact and orientation to the project provided by bilingual and multilingual outreach workers who are hired by community-based organizations and assigned to work with Employment Service case managers in the Jobhelp Stores. These outreach workers, themselves immigrants, come from similar cultures as our clients and they are especially sensitive and aware of the apprehensions and concerns, as well as the needs and desires, of the immigrants. They provide the warm, 1-on-1 support and guidance at the point of first contact with the project, which has been most effective in encouraging and facilitating the participation and success of the immigrants in the project. They also enhance the case management team approach with their expertise and cultural understanding and language services. The Jobhelp Store is now reaching nearly all immigrants in the State through six stores. By this summer four of them will be located in shopping malls, greatly increasing the accessibility of services to our client group. Specific classes in learning the English language, communications skills, basic education, skill training, and employment preparation have been developed to meet the special needs of the immigrants. Learning labs have been established in the Jobhelp Stores in cooperation with the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii community colleges system. Job training classes are being offered in a wide variety of occupations, such as clerical, health services, banking, drafting, maintenance, accounting, food preparation, and others. Many of these classes are offered at flexible times in the evenings and Saturdays, to accommodate clients who are working. Of those who complete training, over 75 percent have entered employment. We are fortunate to have been given funds to provide these jobhelp services to the estimated 40,000 immigrants and Pacific Islanders in our State. We have helped hundreds of them with opportunities they would not have received otherwise. Still, there is much more to do, and we are seeking your support for funding for program year 1992 in the amount of $2.5 million to continue, strengthen, and expand our services to this group. Should fourth year funding become available, we would like to explore new areas as follows: One, job enrichment and upgrade training programs for immigrants already employed who need additional training or support in order to retain their jobs and compete for opportunities at a higher skill level; Two, increase services to immigrant youth, specifically graduating seniors who plan to enter the work force, by developing internships with private companies, combined with education, work experience, assessment and feedback; Three, increase linkages with community service providers to work with heretofore underserved immigrants, namely Pacific Islanders residing along the North Shore Corridor in Oahu; and Four, expand our staff capability to serve the growing number of eligible and interested immigrants awaiting enrollment into the program. These ideas and others that may emerge in the coming months will be implemented as time and resources allow. PREPARED STATEMENT Mr. Chairman, the Jobhelp Store is a highly successful program which has received statewide recognition for its special services to immigrants. There are many more who await the opportunity to receive help, and in their behalf we strongly ask you for your continued support. Thank you and mahalo nui. [The statement follows:] STATEMENT OF CLAUDETTE P. NAAUAO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU AND THE SUBCOMMITTEE AN UPDATE OF THE DEPARTMENT'S JOBHELP STORE PROJECT AND OUR EMPLOYMENT SERVICE AUTOMATION. THE JOBHELP STORE ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND FUNDING OF THE JOBHELP STORE. FROM OUR FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION STARTING IN JULY 1989 WHEN WE TARGETTED THE TWO HIGH-GROWTH AREAS OF HAWAII, THROUGH THE SECOND YEAR MAKEUP OF THE WORKFORCE IS CHANGING RAPIDLY IN HAWAII AND THE ELSEWHERE AND WE FEEL VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES OF THE JOBHELP STORE TO PREPARE THIS IMPORTANT GROUP OF WORKERS, OUR IMMIGRANTS. THE CORE SERVICES OF THE JOBHELP STORE REMAIN UNCHANGED. OUTREACH AND ACCULTURATION SERVICES ARE CONTRACTED OUT TO COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDER ORGANIZATIONS WHO EMPLOY BI- AND MULTI-LINGUAL WORKERS WHO ARE THEN ASSIGNED TO WORK ALONGSIDE JOBHELP STORE CASE MANAGERS, FORMING A COHESIVE SUPPORT TEAM FOR THE IMMIGRANTS. THESE BI-LINGUAL OUTREACH WORKERS HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE IN INTERPRETING THE BASIC ATTITUDES, CONCERNS, FEARS AND NEEDS OF OUR JOBHELP STORE CLIENTS AND TEACHING THEM THE CULTURE, ETHICS, SKILLS AND LANGUAGE TO TRANSITION MORE EASILY TO LIFE IN THEIR NEW HOMELAND. JOBHELP STORE CLIENTS HAVE RESPONDED VERY POSITIVELY TO THIS KIND OF PERSONALIZED, CARING INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM. EXPERIENCES AND SUCCESSES OF JOBHELP STORE CLIENTS HAVE CIRCULATED WIDELY IN THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, GENERATING GREAT INTEREST AND INCREASING NUMBERS OF IMMIGRANTS APPLYING FOR ASSISTANCE. ALONG WITH ACCULTURATION TRAINING IMMIGRANTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE RECENTLY ARRIVED, HAVE REQUIRED INTENSIVE HELP TO OVERCOME LANGUAGE DEFICIENCIES. BASIC EDUCATION CLASSES HAVE BEEN OPERATING EFFECTIVELY UNDER A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AT OUR PRIMARY JOBHELP STORE ON OAHU. IN ADDITION A LEARNING LAB WILL BE ESTABLISHED THIS YEAR IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO PROVIDE HIGHER LEVEL ENGLISH PROFICIENCY INCORPORATING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY. THIS LEARNING LAB WILL ALSO BE LOCATED WITHIN THE JOBHELP STORE. FOR THE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING IMMIGRANTS WHO CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITHOUT BI-LINGUAL ASSISTANCE, WE ARE CONTRACTING WITH A COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDER TO CONDUCT A JOB PREPARATION LANGUAGE PROGRAM (JPLP). ALL OF THESE CLASSES ARE MEETING A CRITICAL NEED IN PREPARING OUR IMMIGRANTS TO QUALIFY FOR ENTRY INTO SKILL TRAINING CLASSES AND EVENTUAL PLACEMENT INTO JOBS. |