become a bsp partner
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Become a corporate partner today and support the BSP missionTRANSCRIPT
Building Skills Partnership A non-profit training collaboration between the SEIU–USWW union and responsible businesses
San Francisco/East Bay: (510) 437-8144
Peninsula/South Bay: (408) 280-5329
www.BuildingSkills.org [email protected]
Increasing Opportunities, Bridging Divides in Silicon Valley
About Building Skills Partnership
In 1994, Hewlett Packard partnered with the Service Employees Union (SEIU) to
pilot Vocational English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for janitors on its
campus and helped recruit other Silicon Valley companies to host classes on-site.
This training collaboration has grown in the past 15 years into the Building Skills
Partnership (BSP), a statewide non-profit led by many of California’s leading
corporations, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and SEIU.
BSP helps close deep language and computer divides by training janitors in ESL,
computer literacy, vocational and other life skills. Classes are held on Saturdays
and other non-traditional hours across the state, from San Diego to Sacramento.
In Silicon Valley, over 300 janitors are trained at a time in six-month classes held
at over 15 leading companies including Adobe, Google, Apple, Genentech,
Applied Materials, and Stanford University.
With access to training, janitors and other primarily immigrant service workers
can advance to higher paid jobs with career pathways. They can also contribute
more to the economy, participate more in their communities, and strengthen the
future of the Valley by better supporting their families’ financial stability, health
and education.
“Microsoft is pleased to partner with
Building Skills Partnership to support
their efforts in workforce training and
skills development. These efforts are
aligned with Microsoft’s global effort
to support improvement in the quality
and access to education. With
unemployment rates at alarmingly high
levels, we all need to work together to
arm people with the skills they need to
succeed in today’s changing economy.”
- Sid Espinosa, Director of Citizenship
Microsoft
Graduation at Adobe English class at Apple
"With some fluency, a janitor can get off the night shift and onto days;
an immigrant can try to pass the citizenship test. Meanwhile,
the tutoring provides a sense of purpose and human connection that
cannot be taught.”
-New York Times
Article on BSP training at Stanford
Need for Immigrant Workforce Development
There is a pressing need in the Valley for Vocational ESL & Job Skills Training:
36% of Santa Clara county's 1.7 million residents are born outside of the U.S.
Low English language proficiency is highest among Spanish speaking
immigrants and has been increasing, from 24% in 1990 to 34%. (United Way
Silicon Valley: Democratic & Economic Trends).
One of the most pressing needs of this
growing population of Latino, immigrant
workers is to learn English in order to fully
participate in their jobs, in their children’s
schools, and to become actively involved
in their community (Joint Venture’s “Index
of Silicon Valley 2005”).
Fewer than 20% of BSP participants can use a computer though they live and
work in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Training is not accessible to most immigrant workers:
Funding shortfalls, uncoordinated
programming and resource deficits
among ESL providers mean long
waiting periods for enrollment,
overcrowded classrooms and a
lack of updated materials and
equipment. (Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s Immigrant Integration in
Silicon Valley).
Many immigrant workers cannot attend ESL or vocational classes due to
their work schedules. Santa Clara County and community should support
educational providers that offer on-site vocational training and Vocational
ESL. (Santa Clara County’s Summit on Immigrant Needs and Contributions).
Tutoring program at Stanford
Graduation at Yahoo!
Reduce language, job skills, and digital divides in Silicon Valley by
helping to train over 500 low-wage immigrant service workers in
2011 in Vocational English, computer literacy and other job skills.
Building Skills Partners are building owners, facilities management
and service companies, and other corporations and community
organizations who agree on the importance of:
Providing classroom space in their buildings so BSP
training can be held on-site, making it possible for
immigrant service workers who often juggle multiple jobs or
lack childcare or transportation to further their educations.
Encouraging janitorial companies or other service
contractors to provide release or flex time to enable
service workers to attend classes at their place of work.
Recruiting corporate
employees to volunteer
as tutors or teaching
assistants within BSP
Vocational ESL or
computer programs.
Helping fund BSP’s work to close language, digital and skills
divides in the Valley by providing an annual membership
contribution of:
Copper: $1,000-9,999
Bronze: $10,000-24,999
Silver: $25,000-49,999
Gold: $50,000-74,999
Platinum: $75,000+
Become a Building Skills Partner
BSP has received contributions/commitments at
the following levels from:
Platinum: Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Gold: Microsoft
Copper: Adobe Google
Employers who provide core funding and offered
worksite training in the Bay Area in 2010 include:
Able Building Maintenance American Building Maintenance Brilliant General Maintenance
GCA Services Group Pacific Maintenance Company
For more information contact:
Alison Ascher Webber BSP Associate Director
[email protected] 510-816-1585
BSP is a statewide 501(c)3 with offices throughout
the state. Bay Area offices are located in San Jose
and Oakland. Federal Tax ID number: 26-1254255
Class leaders at Applied Materials
2010 graduation at Google