Loud and clear
Welfare to work begins with OPTIC in Contra Costa
East Bay Business Times - by Gary Craft
In 1999 during my term as president of the Contra Costa Council, we, in conjunction with a number of other organizations, helped to found OPTIC-Opportunities for Technology Information Careers.
The concept for OPTIC was created in the Contra Costa Council's Technology Task Force when it was readily apparent that the East Bay was experiencing a shortage of trained entry-level technology workers. We felt that there had to be a way where we could match the labor market needs with the opportunities being created out of welfare reform.
The idea ultimately was developed under the leadership of Meryl Natchez, chair of the council's Technology Task Force, into a program where Contra Costa County CalWORKS recipients and other employed residents would receive 12 weeks of intensive, full- time training, graduate to a sheltered work environment and be matched with a mentor and enter the work force in a new career.
This idea became a reality last January and OPTIC was launched. Based in Antioch, OPTIC has been in operation for the past 14 months.
Contra Costa County has provided generous financial support to underwrite these efforts. In addition to the county's substantial support, the Lesher Foundation, the San Francisco Foundation, the SBC Foundation/Pacific Bell and the Wells Fargo Foundation have all provided direct financial support to the program. Another $380,000 of in-kind contributions has come from organizations like the Alameda County Computer Resource Center, CFO's 2 Go, Los Medanos College, TechProse, the Smart Force E Learning Foundation and St Vincent de Paul as well as many others.
The program is working. OPTIC in its short life has graduated four classes of trained workers, 12 having moved on to permanent employment. Twenty-two individuals are working on the OPTIC floor providing business services.
The business services provided by OPTIC include data entry cleaning, verification and conversions, as well as work on phone surveys and mailings. As a business, OPTIC has done dozens of jobs for Contra Costa County businesses and they are always looking for additional opportunities to provide business services.
As the owner of Craft Consulting Group, I have utilized OPTIC as a customer and can attest to both the quality and cost of their service. Other businesses that have utilized OPTIC services or hired graduates include Tech Prose, StrategiComm, Zell & Associates, Morrison & Foerster, Chevron and Scott Valley Bank.
OPTIC is an important example of how the business community can come together with the public sector and form a program that assists not only individuals who need a helping hand, but also is good for business. I urge anyone who is unfamiliar with OPTIC to contact them directly and learn more about this innovative and worthy program. Maggie Bohlman, the director of OPTIC, can be reached at maggie@optic-cc.org or 925-776-1133.
Gary Craft, owner of Craft Consulting Group and executive director of the Contra Costa/Tri-Valley Telecommunication Incubator, is past president of the Contra Costa Council .
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