The Career Advancement Program

The CDC developed the Career Advancement Program (CAP) to provide comprehensive assessment, career counseling, career planning, job training, education, and job placement, along with support services to the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Section 8 recipients who voluntarily enroll in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS).

A national Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiative, the mission of the FSS Program is to assist households receiving Section 8 subsidies to become economically independent. The FSS Program offers participants the opportunity to accumulate substantial savings that result from earnings increases. An escrow saving account is created and is awarded to participants upon successful graduation from the program. The participants are also are eligible for the HomeFirst Down Payment Program that assists them in the purchase of real estate. The HomeFirst program provides qualified homebuyers with a $10,000 forgivable loan to use toward the down payment or closing costs on a new home.

View the Fall 2005 Recognition Ceremony

Listen to Interviews with Clients
at the Fall 2005 Recognition Ceremony

Listen to an interview with a recent
Graduate of the Family Self-Sufficiency Program

The HPD/FSS Career Advancement Program begins with a career counseling process. The counselor and participant develop a career plan by clarifying the client's long-term occupational goal and assessing the client's current educational and career status. All the career and personal services required to achieve those goals are then coordinated, such as, case management, training services, referral to education and training programs, job search tools, and job placement.

See the Increases in Income for Newly Employed Participants

See the Increases in Income for Newly Employed Participants in 2005

CAP provides customized Adult Basic Education or Vocational Training Classes to clients at LaGuardia's Workforce Education Program. Clients are also referred to classes in their community. If clients want to attend college, they receive advisement, assistance with the college application, and assistance with the financial aid process from our College Prep Program. After job search preparation, appropriate job opportunities are identified by the program's Employment Specialists and interviews are scheduled. In addition, CAP has partnered with two community based organizations to provide some of the case management services, the Church Avenue Merchants' Block Association (CAMBA) and the Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) .

Latest Press Release

Click here to see our 2005 FSS Graduates when they got their checks!!

Participation in this comprehensive Career Advancement Program (CAP) results in career advancement for employed, unemployed participants, and individuals receiving public assistance. Clients have been gaining self-sufficiency through career development services and employment. Last graduation 137 participants achieved at least one of their goals of finding employment or completing an educational goal. Since January 2003 we have found 135 participants new and better jobs.

•  Employments rates for all participants who were referred to employers are high and have continued to improve. For the third year of the program the employment rate was 92%, while the three-year average is 72%.

•  Over three years, active participation has resulted in 152 new jobs obtained by 123 participants, 25% who were unemployed at the onset 75% who acquired an increase in salary through better paying employment.

•  The average salary of new participants was $6,850. The average of the salaries for participants with new employment was $16,995. The salaries obtained ranged from $5850 for a part time job to $38,984 for a full-time job. The average difference in annual salary was $10,095 for participants with new employment.

•  The interest in training has resulted in 68 participants completing training and 79% participants (54) subsequently finding appropriate employment.

•  Over the three years, a total of 46 participants started Adult Basic Education and ESL programs. Approximately 16 have completed at least one semester.