So very happy today after getting an email from one of the HOPE Project graduates, Alyssia Suarez interview Saturday with a government contractor in Herndon VA.  She was hired on the spot!  She starts in a couple weeks.  What makes her story so great is that she is about to start a job that pays $42,000 a year and she is only 22.  What makes her story so amazing is that this time last year she was unemployed and without many options.  Alyssia currently works for a Dept. of Defense Contractor in Northern Virginia on the help desk.  The HOPE Project program continues to amaze.  Visit the website to read more success stories. www.hopeprojectdc.org

Stop saying there are no JOBS!!

I continue to hear people all over the DC area complaining that there are no jobs, it's simply not true.  There are PLENTY of jobs for people with in demand skills.  For example just last week during the first day of the Fall HOPE Project training program I got a request from IT recruiter Brandon Berlinrut of Veredus a staffing agency for HP Enterprise Services.  Brandon stopped by the class to recruit our new HOPE Project students for several help desk/call center positions.  Yes you heard me, Brandon has several positions available.  What we are dealing with in the DMV is a skills gap the chronically unemployed and young adults simply don't have the required skill to compete with the highly educated and highly skilled workers in DC.  So when we see the August Jobs report article on Bloomberg describe the shortage of skilled workers I simply laugh because we've been talking about it for years now. Check out this interesting BET News article about the HOPE Project program, click here.

Celebrating HOPE Project graduates on News Channel 8

Wanted to share the my most recent interview.  Bruce Depuyt of News Channel 8 wanted us to come on and talk about the HOPE Project success.  I used this time to celebrate the success of the graduates and showcase how the HOPE Project graduates have succeeded when other young people including college graduates are struggling.  The HOPE graduates have an average salary equal to college graduates, $35,000 a year.  We also introduced the HOPE Project campaign to train 1,000 young people with skills that lead directly to a job and career.  I decided not to spend my interview criticizing the DC City Council or mayor for their lack of ideas to improve the unemployment of young people.  Sadly I introduced the HOPE Project recently to a council member and my introduction included an employment report of the previous 2 years success, offer letters from dozens of students they are now working on major federal government contracts, I talked about how we have IT recruiters and government contractors emailing and calling me regularly looking for talent. The council members response was...  "So what can I do to help"  Sad, Sad, Sad.  I just gave him a blueprint to help hundreds of unemployed people and his response is "What can I do to help"  and people wonder why things are so bad in DC for certain groups of people.

Why having a felony isn't whats keeping felons from getting hired

As a workforce development expert, I am constantly asked what can be done to get returning citizens into the workforce.  The answer is very simple.  "They need in demand skills just like the rest of us."  90% of the returning citizens that I speak with would have a hard time finding a job if they didn't have any background issues, the truth is they are just not qualified. The solution is in comprehensive workforce development model after one of the most successful job training program in the country, the HOPE Project (www.hopepeojectdc.org)  The HOPE Project graduates with background issues are landing positions with great success.  One of the programs most successful graduates is Segfried Smith a 2011 graduates currently enrolled in a CISCO certification program at Prince Georges Community College and a employee of Barrister Global Service Network.  So before we begin to point the finger at employers we should make sure we have done everything possible to prepare our returning citizens for today's high skilled workforce.

Rallies are cool but its time for some action!

I have watched the country debate the Trayvon Martin murder for nearly a month now, and I have yet to hear anyone call for action to address the needs of young black boys like Trayvon.  There are thousands of young black boys that drop out of school each year yet we NEVER TAKE ACTION.  Every year thousands of young black boys are killed by other young black boys, yet we NEVER TAKE ACTION.  The rate of HIV/AIDS in the nations capital is at epidemic proportions, yet we NEVER TAKE ACTION. Many outsiders are watching the black community hold countless rallies and demonstrations for the murder of a young boy at the hands of a white man and many are probably saying why aren't they rallying for other ills in the black community.  I am inspired by the show of support for young Trayvon, and I'm 100% behind the effort to bring Mr. Zimmerman to justice.  We have to be careful with demonstrating today and turning our backs tomorrow on the thousands of young black boys that need our help. Can you imagine how other young black boys are feeling right now knowing that they have lost brothers, cousins, uncles and friends to violence and the killer was never brought to justice.  They are probably saying "what makes Trayvon's life more valuable than the life of my friend or relative, why haven't they rallied for the killer of my people to be brought to justice."  I'm asking 1000 black men and boys to meet me at a location in April, to create an ACTION PLAN to save a generation of young black boys.  I'm working on a location, when it's announced don't meet me there beat me there.  BRING YOUR IDEAS AND YOUR ENERGY!   The H.O.P.E. Project program was ONLY the beginning of this movement, it's time to take it to the NEXT LEVEL, IT'S TIME FOR SOME ACTION!

DC Dept. of Employment Services Training Dollars Cut

In the Washington metropolitan area there are so many employment opportunities, in areas such as IT, healthcare, and education.  Great example of how bad things have become is the recent decision by the DC Department of Employment Services, DOES to cut the amount an individual can receive to attend an approved training provider, from $8,000 to ONLY $4,000.  It is virtually impossible to learn a skill to compete with DC's highly educated and skilled workforce on 4 grand.  That's DC's idea - to simply cut the training dollars for Dc residents.

HOPE is REAL!

The H.O.P.E. Project, aka the "Harvard of the Hood" addresses high unemployment in Washington, DC offering a technology training program to residents of the poorest Ward in the city. Over 150 young people attended the information session and town hall on jobs that followed. This very unique unfunded IT training program prepares socially and economically disadvantaged young adults for help desk careers with an average student starting salary of $37,500. Several students have accepted offers of $40,000 per year or more. The highest student starting salary is $47,500 per year.

The jobless rate in the poorest part of the District of Columbia is higher than in any U.S. metropolitan area with a labor-force of comparable size, according to figures released by the city government.

Unemployment in the district’s Ward 8 climbed to 28.2 percent in June 2011. Ward 8 now has a bright light called the H.O.P.E. Project. The program is turning Ward 8 residents from TANF recipients into $40,000 a year help desk analysts.

This ground breaking program has existed for three years without any federal, city or corporate funding. The program is 100 percent volunteer. Although a volunteer program, the H.O.P.E. Project has produced success rates unmatched in the Washington metropolitan area. The H.O.P.E. Project’s brand is so popular that the program holds just two information sessions a year to fill 16 slots. This year’s information sessions drew 209 young adults. The information sessions were held at the 7th District Police Station and Matthew Memorial Baptist Church.

The program is the recruiting ground for many of the top information technology staffing companies in the Washington, DC area and firms from Florida and Texas have partnered with the H.O.P.E. Project. Additionally, several technology firms have recruited and hired H.O.P.E. Project students, including Competitive Innovations, MIL Corporation, MMC Group, RCG Inc. and Battelle. Competitive Innovations donated SharePoint training vouchers and exam manuals. The program boasts an amazing record of 100 percent pass rate for the CompTIA A+ exam. Several students have earned multiple certifications since graduating.

In December 2011, four students interviewed with MIL Corporation to fill several Customer Support Analyst positions. All four students were offered positions. They are currently going through the clearance process. The program has become so popular because of the success of the participants one student relocated from Greensboro, North Carolina after hearing about the program.

The H.O.P.E. Project is in partnership with Share Tech Solutions, an HUB Zone information technology company, to staff and manage their 24/7 helpdesk and call center operation. The Share Tech Solutions partnership will give new students the opportunity to earn income and gain valuable helpdesk experience right away.

The 2012 H.O.P.E. Project class has set several program records, including the fastest class to have a student land a help desk position and the most students from a single class to accept an information technology position before graduation. To date, 14 students have accepted offers of employment. The class currently has 18 students, only 2 were employed when the program started.

The H.O.P.E. Project class meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings and one Saturday each month. The program is a 9 month commitment. The program has very strict attendance policies. Several students have perfect attendance and no student has missed more than 3 days since the program began in September 2011. The 2012 class graduates in June. The 18 students are expected to graduate with their CompTIA A+ certification and be employed as a help desk professional.

The H.O.P.E. is an information technology career training program that prepares socially and economically disadvantaged young people for rewarding careers as help desk professionals. Visit the website www.hopeprojectdc.org.

The Ray Bell Show Online Radio by Raymond Bell | Blog Talk Radio

The Ray Bell Show Online Radio by Raymond Bell | Blog Talk Radio

How the 9th grade changed my life

I must say that I have several moments that have shaped my life, but the single biggest defining moment for me was as a ninth grader at Stuart Junior High School, in North east Washington DC. During the spring of my ninth grade year my English teacher Ms. Lowery asked if I was ready for some new challenges. Ms Lowery was a middle-age Jewish women that pushed me academically. She secretly secured a slot for me to take the entrance exam at St. Albans High School in Georgetown. I was the only student she approached about the opportunity. 

I was so excited about the chance to become a student at such a prestigious school. After class I finished my school day and ran to the bus stop to head back to the southside to let my mother and all my friends know that I was going to St. Albans to take the entrance exam. My mom called all of our relatives and her friends; I walked up and down the neighborhood telling everyone I was going to St. Albans.

My entire neighborhood was aware of the opportunity and they wanted me to show those others kids that "we're just as smart and even smarter than they are." So now I had the entire community on my back, I was no longer representing just myself and my family I was representing the entire neighborhood.

The rest of the week and weekend I was the community big shot because I was the kid from the neighborhood that was going to make it. On the day of the exam, my mom and I caught 3 buses to get to St. Albans. When we arrive at the campus, it was if we were in another world, everything was different, the cars, houses, people, everything was very different from what I was use to.

The counselor greeted us and escorted us to a very large room with about 40 other kids. As I sat and patiently waited I noticed that I was the only African American kid in the room. After a short wait they walked us around campus, they had an indoor pool, huge basketball gym, weight room, everything. I could see myself shooting hoops after school already. 

Finally we were taken to the testing room, my mom gave me a hug and kiss and wished me good luck. As I slid into my chair I was beginning to realize that this was not the DC public school system, where I was always the smartest kid in the room. Once the proctor was passed out the test and the pencils issued, it was my chance to prove to all of these "white boys" that we are just as smart as they are.

All of the students were from public schools, many of them from very upscale neighborhoods in northern Virginia and Maryland, places like Reston, Arlington and Potomac. 

I started the test and immediately realized that I was way over my head. Some of the questions were so difficult my head started spinning. As I looked around I saw other students briskly going through the questions as if test was an after school extra credit assignments. 

I was devastated. The feeling I had, handing the test in to the proctor, still haunts me to this day, 30 years later. I was so distraught after the exam, my mom put us in a cab, instead of taking the three buses back home, which we really could not afford.

The ride home was very long and painful, my mother did everything she could to console me, nothing worked. I felt as if I had let the entire neighborhood down, as well as my family. Everyone knew about me going to St. Albans to take the entrance exam.

When the cab pulled up to my apartment building all of my friends were sitting on the steps of my building waiting on me to arrive so I could tell them how I aced the test and crushed all of them whites boys.

I had to tell them that I had failed and that I was not as smart as those other kids. My mom tried to rush me into the house so that I would not have to answer any of the questions. Not only was I going up there to prove that we are just as smart but it was my friends way of living through me. The school and the surrounding community was so vastly different from what we had all grown up seeing everyday.

I refused my moms shielding and expressed to my friends that I did not do well on the test. My friends were very supportive and encouraged me to try again and told me that I'm still the smartest kid in our neighborhood. So now I'm feeling much better but I now needed to discuss this exam with my English teacher Ms. Lowery. 

The exam was on a Saturday, so I played ball all weekend and watched wrestling with my friends and started to move into another set of emotions about the exam, I had become angry with my teacher, for sending me to St. Albans, without properly preparing me to compete against those kids from the suburbs.

So on Monday I walked into my Ms. Lowery's class and ask her to please step into the hallway. She could tell that I was not very happy. I asked her why would set me up, by sending me to St. Albans to compete against those white boys, when she knew I wasn't as smart as they were. She calmed me down and asked me to take a look into the classroom, I peeped my head into the door and the students were goofing around, reading sports magazines and having small talk. I asked why did she want me to look into the classroom? She told me that the kids I met at St. Albans were my competition, that those were the kids I would face when I got out of her class and out of high school, and not the kids in her 9th grade English class. She went on to say that she could not teach me everything I needed to learn to be competitive in the global economy that was coming, at the time I had no clue what the global economy really meant. 

She wanted me to see first hand who my competition for the best jobs, best opportunities would be. That experience shaped my life and made me realize that I should never evaluate myself by the comforts of my surroundings and to read, study and work as hard as possible so when my opportunity comes knocking I would be ready. I have lived by that principle, to be as prepared as possible because you'll never know when it's time to take the exam called life.

Hip Hop, is it Ruining Young People?

Are you a parent of the next Lil Wayne or Wiz Khalifa, yet until they BLOW UP, you can't get him/her to get a job or go to school. How many young people are destroying their lives because of a desire to be a rap star? For every Drake there are thousands of young people that NEVER MAKE IT. How many young people have you seen selling CDs in the mall parking lot, during the day time instead of at work or school? Tune in this Saturday for a special "Ray Bell Show on Blogtalk Radio." Watch live on raymondbell.blogspot.com. My in studio guest will be several up and coming rappers. Spread the word! Given young people a VOICE! 

Great line from Notorious B.I.G from the track Flavor in your ear!

The Ray Bell Show Online Radio by Raymond Bell | Blog Talk Radio

The Ray Bell Show Online Radio by Raymond Bell | Blog Talk Radio

Great Parenting - A candid Conversation about Moma Cole 12/17 by Raymond Bell | Blog Talk Radio

Great Parenting - A candid Conversation about Moma Cole 12/17 by Raymond Bell | Blog Talk Radio

Ballou High School Graduate vs. American University Graduate

When I was a a high school graduate, I ran downtown to take the civil service exam to get me a GOOD GOVERNMENT JOB.  Stayed there for about 15 years.  That was many years ago.  Today the Ballou graduate that applies for an entry level admin position, will compete against the recent American University graduate, with a degree in English.  Back in the day kids would come to DC just to get a college education and then they would pack up and go home.  Those days are long gone.  Now kids are STAYING in the DC area, because the JOBS are here!  So when my company has an opening for an entry level position, it would be a waste of time for me to submit the resume of a recent Ballou graduate, they will stand no chance of even getting an interview because of the level of competition.  This is why we created the HOPE Project to give socially and economically disadvantaged young people a marketable skill to compete for entry level employment.  It's working, the class of 2011 have an average starting salary of $38,500.  HOPE is REAL! follow me on twitter.com/raybelljr.  Visit our website for details about the HOPE Project, www.hopeprojectdc.org

Developing Young People for the JOBS that exist Right NOW!

Today I spoke with the I.T. recruiter that hired a recent HOPE Project graduate.  It was so refreshing to here the Recruiter talk about how prepared student was on day one.  Although we are an unfunded program, we have taken the time to properly prepare our students for the skills that are in demand.

The Help Desk Analyst position that pays the HOPE Graduate $44K a years, requires the following skills
1.  VoIP Support
2.  Knowledge of Active Directory
3.  Troubleshooting Microsoft Outlook
4.  Remote support
5.  Using HEAT ticketing software
6.  SharePoint Support
7.  Blackberry Support and Configuration.

Visit us on the web for more information about the HOPE Project.
www.hopeprojectdc.org

DDCA employees help others through the HOPE Project

DDCA employees help others through the HOPE Project

The Prison Industrial Complex

I have a message to the companies that are part of the prison industrial complex., all the businesses that are profiting off sending young black men to prison.  I'M GOING TO PUT YOU OUT OF BUSINESS.  So you better start looking for a new hustle.  We are all tired of watching our kids feel that they have to break the law to survive. We are going to replace your jails with jobs and careers. A "Ray of HOPE" is coming and YOU CAN'T mess with a Divine MOVEMENT. You will LOSE this fight, BECAUSE YOUR ARMS ARE TO SHORT TO BOX WITH GOD. Believe that!

What is the HOPE Project?

The H.O.P.E. Project is a unique technical career training program designed to prepare socially and economically disadvantaged young people for rewarding careers as help desk and application support professionals.  I.T. is the single biggest employer in the Washington metropolitan area.  The students graduate with a toolbox of skills to successfully compete for entry level positions with starting salaries as high as $40,000 per year. The program is a 9 month investment for the participants, the class meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from 6:30pm until 9:30pm.  Occasionally the class meets on Saturday's from 10:00am until 4:00pm.  The class uses the remaining days in the week to study and conduct research.  We occasionally hold class online. In addition to several I.T. certifications the program includes corporate education courses such as time management, customer service, delivering effective presentations and project management. We include social and career coaching.

We have a few partners that allow our students to volunteer/intern to gain real-world experience.  This addition to the program has helped a great deal.  However, the single BIGGEST asset has been the professional development and soft skills training.  Our program starts with 2 months of soft skills training and ends with another month of it. 

Our graduating students have been very successful landing positions.  I.T. recruiters typically contact our students after they post their resumes on dice.com, monster.com and careerbuilder.com, the DMV has a shortage of qualified entry I.T. talent.

The students attendance is very high, we have a very strict attendance policy, no more than 3 absentees per phase. (We have 3 phases)  one student in this year's program had perfect attendance and one with that missed only a single day.  All of our students had less than 6 total days missed.  (The program is 8 months) The students have to compete for the 14 slots we offer which makes the program very unique and the students understand they have EARNED their way into this opportunity, it really helps with retention.

The H.O.P.E. Project graduates now work for companies such as HP Enterprise Services, Mindbank, Comcast, Evolver, Webster Data & Communications, Technisource, Battelle, RCG Inc. and many  other corporations and government contractors.  Last year's H.O.P.E. Project student of the year accepted a position with a starting salary of $34,500 per year, she was unemployed for nearly one year before enrolling in the H.O.P.E. Project program.  This year's Student of the Year, Brandon Craig is currently working at Webster Data & Communication, with a starting salary of $42,000.  Brandon worked as a stock clerk prior to enrolling in the program.

We recently formed a partnership with Competitive Innovations (cillc.com) a HUB Zone company in Virginia, as a HUB zone company Competitive Innovations, has a very hard time finding qualified HUB Zone talent, like most technology HUB Zone companies very few residents with the skills we teach live in HUB Zones.

Earlier this month,  2011 HOPE Project graduate Syrika Powell accepted an offer with RCG Inc. (http://www.rcg.com/) as a Help Desk Analyst.  Syrika's salary is $47,000 per year, she has two kids three years and six months.

The program is a bright light in the community and the light is getting brighter, the students have nicknamed the program the "Harvard of the Hood".

The H.O.P.E. Project is a 100% volunteer effort.  Our goal was to prove that socially and economically disadvantaged young people can have the American Dream they see advertised on TV, they are just 8 months away from it, when they become a HOPE Project Graduate.  

Here are some photos from our Tuesday night Info Session and Town Hall on Jobs.  118 people applied for just 5 slots, the town hall attracted an additional 60 people.  Council member Michael Brown participated in the Town Hall.

See the pictures
https://picasaweb.google.com/116221124934394750554/110811HopeProjectMatthewsMemorialChurch?authkey=Gv1sRgCMn2-N_xzfOdVg

Short clip of Kendra Smith a 2011 HOPE Graduate now working at Comcast, she has great benefits package at Comcast and FREE cable.  Please listen to her confidence as she speaks, there were 75 people at this info session held at the 7D police station. She did not speak with the confidence when she enrolled.  This is the best marketing in the world for a career training program a successful student.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVkPPz3clXI

HOPE Project Info Session and Town Hall/Forum

The HOPE Project info session and town hall/forum was held at Matthew Memorial Baptist Church. 118 young people attend the 6:00pm info session.  It was very emotional to see so many young people interested in the HOPE Project.

Why I'm so committed to the HOPE Project

My 9th grade teacher got me an application for St. Albans when I arrived to take the test I was the ONLY minority, the other kids were from very good VA and MD public schools. My entire neighborhood knew I was going to take the test, I felt like I had the entire community on my back, my job was to show those kids we were just as smart as they are. My mom and I caught 3 buses from Butler Gardens to get there. I FAILED MISERABLY. I was so upset she let us catch a cab home. Everyone was sitting on the front of my building waiting for me to share the great news. When I returned to school I asked my teacher why she would set me up because I was not prepared to compete against them. HER RESPONSE WAS THAT I WANTED YOU TO SEE WHAT YOUR COMPETITION LOOKS LIKE, AND THAT SHE COULD NOT TEACH ME EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW IN HER CLASS SO I NEEDED TO STOP EVALUATING MYSELF BY THE PEOPLE IN HER CLASS BUT MY COMPETITION WAS THE KIDS I SAW AT ST. ALBANS. It changed my life. Thank you Ms. Lowery. I hope you get the message here

Public School Education discussion on the Ray Bell Show on Blogtalk Radio

The movie Waiting for Superman has so many people talking about the state of public education in America. We'll discuss the topic, including the huge gift from facebook founder Zuckerberg, as well as DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, charter schools, Adult Education and the teachers unions.


http://www.blogtalkradio.com/raybell