| Do you have to be
a Christian to be a JfL student? |
No, JfL sites do not discriminate students
based on race, nationality, gender, creed, or religious
preferences.
>Return to Top
| Is there
a charge for the student to participate in the class? |
Typically no, the students are not charged
to participate in the class. The classes are designed to
be free for the students with all of the costs covered by
the JfL site. On occasion, a JfL site might charge a very
nominal fee to the students in an effort to allow the students
to take the class seriously. Students should never be turned
away because of an inability to pay for the course.
>Return
to Top
| Where do you find
students for JfL classes? |
From a variety of sources:
- Within churches/organizations that are
JfL sites
- Outreach programs of JfL sites
- Partnering organizations
- Homeless shelters
- Department of Social Services
- One Stop Centers
- Word of mouth
>Return to Top
| What is required
of a student to participate in a JfL class? |
- Desire to get a job
- Willingness to have a group of people
provide him/her support and friendship through the class
and once employed
Each interested student completes an
application to register for the class and then receives
the information needed to attend the training.
>Return to Top
| What would
keep potential students from participating in a JfL
class? |
- They do not want to get a job or they are
unwilling to have a support system during the class.
- There are barriers in their life that
would keep them from understanding the course material.
Barriers could include but are not limited to problems
with substance abuse or mental health issues. In those
cases, it is best to refer these candidates to other organizations/agencies
in the community to help deal with those barriers first.
>Return to Top
| Should we
require that students get drug tested before they can
qualify for the class? |
At JfL, we do not require that students
get a drug test before they can participate in the class.
We do help them understand during the class that they will
eventually get tested when they seek employment so it is
best to come clean before that happens. We have found that
it is better to deal with that issue in the community of
a JfL class rather than through an initial drug test. In
the context of community, the person is better able to deal
with that issue and find solutions to overcome it.
>Return to Top
| What about
child care for the students’ children? |
A JfL site will need to determine the child
care needs of the students and find appropriate ways to
help support that. Providing child care can happen through
a variety of ways:
- At class sites, site leadership sites
set up a separate room away from the class for children
and volunteers come in to nurture the children during
the class.
- Champions help the student find the necessary
child care
- Champions take care of the children during
the class
This is a wonderful way to get other
volunteers for the class – people who have a heart
for kids and want to serve by caring for the children during
JfL classes.
>Return to Top
| What
do you do if some of the students do not have transportation? |
Again, this is another way to have people
volunteer to support the class. Champions can help provide
transportation, the site can arrange for a van to pick students
up and take them home, volunteers can sign up on different
days to provide rides for the students, etc.
>Return to Top
| What
are the requirements for a student to graduate from
a JfL class? |
The student must:
- Complete all of the lessons in the curriculum
- Complete their vocational plan and resume
- Not have missed more than 3 classes.
- Must make up any class that was missed
by completing the lesson and demonstrating knowledge of
the material
- Display many of the principles taught
in the class
- Have the approval of the Site Leader,
Class Leader, and his/her Champion that he/she is ready
to go to work.
>Return
to Top
| What if
a student misses more than 3 classes? Should that student
graduate? |
In some cases yes, and in some cases
no. It is really up to the site leadership. If the student
has missed many classes, then we would advise that he/she
not graduate. You do not want to set a precedent that it
is ok not to be present and still graduate. How would that
work in the marketplace? Most people are fired if they regularly
miss work.
On the other hand, there can be extenuating circumstances
that may have caused a particular student to miss multiple
classes. In that case, the student must complete all of
the lessons, demonstrate knowledge of the topics missed,
and embody the principles taught in the class to ensure
he/she is ready to go to work. If those requirements are
met, then the site leadership can decide to allow the student
to graduate.
>Return to Top
|
What if a student gets a job before the class is complete? |
Celebrate! We have accomplished our goal!
We would encourage the student to complete the class because
the principles taught will be helpful to them not only in
the job but also in life. If that is not possible, we wish
them well, provide them support as needed, and stay in touch
so that we can track their progress.
>Return to Top
| What if
a student completes the course requirements, but the
site leadership does not think the student is ready
to go to work? What do you do? |
Site leadership can have the student graduate, but it is
imperative that leadership communicate why it can not recommend
to a potential employer that the student (now graduate)
is ready to go to work. It would be wise for the site leadership
to help the student understand what he/she needs to overcome
in order to get that recommendation.
>Return to Top
| What jobs
do JfL graduates typically obtain? |
You name it. JfL graduates have received employment
in a variety of industries and a variety of positions. Most
often, the goal is to help JfL graduates find entry level
jobs with opportunities for promotions and increased wages,
a job in which they can be successful.
>Return
to Top
|
