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EMERGE Career & Technology Center

Partner Agency: Career & Technology Center (ECTC)- EMERGE
Location(s): 1834 Emerson Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411
Site Supervisor:  Alan Stovall, Workforce Coordinator

CTEP Program Description

The AmeriCorps Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) bridges the “digital divide” for new Immigrants and low-income communities in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. Join AmeriCorps CTEP and help make the information age accessible to all.  CTEP is a project of Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN).

Site History and Mission

EMERGE is a community and workforce development organization based in North Minneapolis and Cedar Riverside, neighborhoods that struggle with some of the metro area’s highest rates of unemployment and most concentrated poverty. Each year EMERGE serves nearly 2,000 adults and youth with accessing jobs, financial coaching, supportive housing, and other key services through EMERGE.

EMERGE's mission is "to reveal the potential in people and communities through skill building, employment, and economic opportunity." This reflects both our commitment to facilitate life change for individuals facing significant obstacles, and our commitment to create broader, systemic change at the community level.

Of the 1,606 participants EMERGE served during 2021, 90% identified as people of color with the largest groups served African American (57%) and African (19%) primarily Somali. Our participants are 96% low-income with 87% under the poverty-line. Last year, 72% were receiving some form of public assistance; 22% were overcoming a criminal background; 31% reported no high school diploma or GED; 16% were homeless or in temporary/transitional housing at some point; 18% identified a primary language other than English; 10% reported chemical health concerns; and 9% identified as an immigrant or refugee.

EMERGE has specialized expertise in serving people with criminal backgrounds, immigrants and refugees, young men involved with juvenile justice, and MFIP (MN Family Investment Program) recipients seeking to end dependence on state programs through employment. Nearly all participants come from backgrounds of chronic poverty, and many have basic skills deficiencies in workplace competencies, job sills, technology skills and/or foundational academic skills. We offer a range of services to meet these needs.

Preferred Site Schedule for Member

The expected weekly schedule is 9-5 Monday through Friday.

In addition, members attend professional development days with their fellow CTEP members to enhance service-readiness skills, personal attributes at the service site, and citizenship skills. These Corps days take place twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Fridays from 9 AM to 4 PM, and these trainings are mandatory. Members also attend statewide AmeriCorps events, such as the Martin Luther King Day celebration, and/or serve on the statewide InterCorps Council.
 

Specific Site Responsibilities

The CTEP member will assist EMERGE with it's transition to virtal instruction  of work readiness and on-site and virtual digital literacy (Zoom, TEAMS, etc.) and proctor Northstar Digital Literacy Assessments to adults 25  and older whom are exploring credentialed training leading to careers in high-demand industries.       

Specifically, with the participants:

  1. The CTEP would run/monitor our Digital Literacy classes (with COVID-19, make sure they complete any online trainings and monitor course progress)
  2. Assist the participants with email/account creation for online trainings. I plan to use an online resume builder that I created so they may possibly provide the link to the participants or assist in the completion.
  3. When the lab opens, monitor and assist in the lab.
  4. Assist with the setup of the Virtual trainings, virtual setup for the participants and laptop giveaways

With the coaches the CTEP’s interactions would be:

  1. Work with coach(es) to discuss any concerns they might see of the participant pertaining to the virtual trainings, or digital literacy. 
  2. If they have assisted with job search or login creations, update the coach on the progress, and forward any detailed information pertinent to the participants relationship with the coach. 

With the supervisor the CTEP’s interactions would be:

  1. Let supervisor know if there are concerns with the coach(es)/participants
  2. Update supervisor on the group participation, group counts and progress of participants
  3. Work with supervisor to add new training modules or omit ones that are not useful as the CTEP sees based on the participants interactions and the CTEP’s knowledge.

Site Environment

EMERGE's Career and Technology Center (ECTC) is an office setting on the main level adjacent to the lobby computer lab and fully equipped meeting space nearby. There aren't any physical demands for this position. The CTEP Member would deliver services both at ECTC and online.

ECTC is located near two main bus lines.

How to Apply

Apply online at http://my.americorps.gov/ and click on “Apply to Serve”. Be sure to search for the “Community Technology Empowerment Project” or “CTEP” when asked to indicate what program you would like to send your application to. Contact: Allison Williams, williams@spnn.org, 651-298-8918 for more information about CTEP Member requirements.

CTEP AmeriCorps values an equitable work environment and strongly encourages Black, Indigenous and people of color, speakers of many languages, disabled individuals, LGBTQIA+ identified, and people from other underrepresented communities to apply.

Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request.