An Update on CSL’s Bridges to Career Opportunities Initiative: A Look Back on Five Years of Success

October 1, 2021 | By: Doug Cowan, CSL President & CEO

Our Medical Coding & Billing Professional Certificate graduates pose after their graduation ceremony in July 2021 at the UCM Lee’s Summit campus.

In 2016, with seed money from the City of Independence (Community Development Block Grant dollars), Community Services League was able launch its first Bridges to Career Opportunities training cohort. That cohort consisted of 15 women in Independence who all received tuition-provided training to become CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistants). Of the 15, 14 graduated and were hired in the long-term care unit at Truman Medical Centers – Lakewood. Five years, later, here is a look at the successes of the program:

The Societal Issues

Most of the families that CSL assists, have some earned income through employment. The problem is that so many workers are under-skilled and/or under-trained. They do not possess the skills to obtain employment in sectors that offer livable wages, benefits, and upward advancement opportunities. The prospect of "going back to school" is very difficult for low-income families, as most can't afford the trainings needed, and don't have the luxury of leaving their current job for several weeks to pursue a new career.

The Solutions

Workers need to be connected with free trainings that can yield a new career path within a short amount of time. During the training, they need wrap-around family supports that creates a supportive environment for career transition. Wrap-around supports can include assistance with transportation, rent/utilities/mortgage, childcare, emotional supports, etc.

Our Initiative

CSL's BCO (Bridges to Career Opportunities) work is modeled by our program delivery partner, LISC. CSL has the designation of a LISC Financial Opportunity Center. We base our work on these tenets:

- we seek to connect workers to in-demand sectors like healthcare, information technology, construction trades, logistics, etc.

- we want to offer IRCs (Industry-Recognized Credentials) that are portable

- we further desire IRCs that offer career-laddering, meaning that a worker can entire at a base level, then move up in the sector with additional trainings and certifications

- we seek jobs that offer livable wages and benefits of $17/hour or more ($17/hour includes the dollar value of employer-sponsored benefits like health insurance and retirement)

- In 2020, we partnered with Truman Heartland Community Foundation, the University of Central Missouri, Mid-Continent Public Library, and KC Scholars to form the “Job Skills for New Careers” consortium. Our work remained focused, but partners brought additional opportunities.

- Through LISC, CSL was part of a national $10 million grant program through the Citi Foundation. Read more about that investment and CSL’s involvement.

- The cost of the trainings usually run at least $2,500 per participant, but usually up to $3,500. When costing out the program, we usually add an amount equal to the training for wrapround supports. So, most all-in costs are $5,000-$7,000 per trainee. The additional costs support the CSL coaches that help trainees navigate the courses and the hiring process, along with Financial Coaches that help participants navigate their new financial life, and direct assistance provided to overcome any barriers.

Our Outcomes

From 2016-2020, 165 people graduated with a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Welding (MIG, TIG, Stick) certificate. Of the graduates, 102 are CNAs, and 63 are welders. Here is a snapshot of their success:

• We still have contact with 86% of our CNA graduates (88 CNAs). Of those 88, 95% told us they are still working in healthcare.

• 35 of the 63 welding graduates have remained in contact with us (56%). Of those, 77% have verified they are still working in the production occupations industry.

• Of the 123 graduates we’ve maintained contact with, 111 (90%) improved their household income since graduation

Case Study: Economic Impact in Independence

Of the 111 people that have improved their household income (2016-2020), 75 live in Independence. The average Independence graduate of CSL’s BCO program makes at least $13,936 more per year than before their training. Over five years, that number is more than $69,000. For all 75 cumulatively, that’s $5,226,000 in increased earnings over five years. The investment for those 75 trainees was $225,000 in tuition costs and about $225,000 in wrap-around supports, for a total of $450,000. The return on the $450,000 investment, over five years, has been more than a 10x factor. For a City that has struggled to get median household income to north of $50,000 annually, this has been a great boost to those efforts.

2021 and Beyond

So far, we have had 567 applications through the online portal, showing the demand. Of those, 89 participants were enrolled in training. To date, 70 participants completed their training, and 68 received a credential. We actively work to close the gap, meaning we often get students to “drop back in” for the last few hours of training they need. Of the graduates, the average wage is $17.36/hour.

In the final four months of 2021, we have:

CNA class that started 9/8 with 15 students

Medical Coding & Billing class started 9/13 with 15 students

CNA class starts 10/14 with 15 students

Sustainable Material Handling (warehousing/logistics) will start at the end of October with 15 students

This will put us at 130+ enrollees in 2021 – a record for this program. Donor support has made this possible! Additional support has added the extremely popular Medical Coding & Billing cohorts. Many families see working at home as their best option, and this pathway is an opportunity to do that.

Going Forward

CSL has received notice that KC Scholars intends to support 45 training spots (about $150,000 in tuition) during the first half of 2022, and we are working with KC Scholars to develop a five-year investment opportunity to train or retrain between 225-450 Kansas City workers from 2023-2027. We are asking local municipalities to consider setting aside some of their American Rescue Plan dollars for workforce trainings for their citizens.

Continued philanthropy from fund-holders at Truman Heartland Community Foundation will provide additional capital to change lives at great scale. It is conceivable that, starting in 2023, more than 200 adults will enroll annually… about the size of a small high school.

We are also working to beef up our retention efforts. To continue telling the story of this effort, we must stay in close contact with our program graduates, and track their career laddering, wage growth, and high-level life accomplishments like homeownership.

We look forward to continuing this work with our community. If you are interested in trainings or being a helping hand in our community, please email me at cowand@cslcares.org.