Recycling Lives (RL)

Program Overview

Kern Adult School launched the Recycling Lives course to provided adult learners with the principles of recycling glass including entrepreneurship and business fundamentals in response to increased homelessness, long term unemployment, substance abuse, and previously incarcerated individuals in need of job readiness/workforce development opportunities.

The Program of Practice

The county of Kern, like many communities, is experiencing an increase in homelessness, long term unemployment, substance abuse, and previously incarcerated individuals in need of job readiness/workforce development opportunities.

The Response

A multi-agency collaborative partnership was created to infuse education and workforce development in a concerted effort to assist the hardest to serve return to living wage employment. Bakersfield Adult School (Kern High School District) partners with County of Kern, Kern Alliance for Business (a non-profit public benefit corporation serves as the non-profit arm of Employers’ Training Resource (ETR)) and Foundation for Community College.

The Unique Features of the Program

The Recycling Lives course provides adult learners with the principles of recycling glass including entrepreneurship and business fundamentals. In the Business Management Pathway, participants learn goal setting, resource allocation, organizational structure, and management techniques. Students earn in-demand stackable certifications which include: A West-Tec Safety Certification-Passport Certification, Forklift Operator Certification- Class II, Class III, Class IV, Prologis Forklift Operator Certification, Skidsteer certification, complete an Individual Development Plan focused on personal and professional growth, Resume writing, earn elective credit through Bakersfield Adult School, participate in interview preparation, and access the entire workforce development system.
Each student learns essential workplace competencies, or “Soft-Skills,” such as integrity, relationships, initiative, poise, awareness, adaptability, and sincerity. Each competency is supported by case studies and role plays associated with the curriculum that emphasize job retention and job success factors.

The Outcome

Each cohort has had tremendous success in placing completing participants in employment. The first cohort was a truncated seven-week pilot session in the summer of 2021. Targeting clients with multiple barriers ranging from AB109 to long-term unemployed, seven of the eight clients completed. One left for a high wage opportunity. Of the seven remaining completers, three gained employment opportunities in logistics, two returned as externs and one secured employment in an office environment.

The second cohort of clients completed and employed nine of the ten initial participants. One participant dropped out in the fifth week of instruction, six of the remaining eight secured employment.
The recycling Lives program has now completed its fifth cohort; each cohort is approximately 12 weeks long, three cohorts in a fiscal year. Completion and employment data has continued to be consistent.
The success of the program is teacher driven. Three teachers are committed to the program. Additionally, the clients are screened for “readiness” prior to onboarding through the AJCC and enrollment with Bakersfield Adult School. Each student is referred for employment in an environment tailored to their individual strengths.
Partnerships throughout the community are integral to success of the program. Dedicated partners include private business with a shared commitment to hiring, the city and county of Kern supplying the glass product which in turn is utilized in a variety of landscape, cement, and asphalt work., the Kern Alliance for Business leasing the warehouse space necessary to house product and equipment.