Taller San Jose Hope Builders

Hope Builders empowers Orange County’s young adults with the mentorship, life skills and job skills training that meet the needs of employers.

Since 1995, Hope Builders serves as beacon of hope for disadvantaged young adults in Orange County, guiding them toward career success through comprehensive mentorship, life skills development, and job skills training tailored to meet employers' demands. We believe that career opportunities transform lives. Our goal is to prepare and link Orange County's most vulnerable young adults in quality jobs that offer competitive wages, health benefits, safe work environments, consistent scheduling, and growth opportunities.
Each year, we select over 330 diverse young adults, equipping them with essential hard and soft skills to thrive in the workforce and break through the social and emotional barriers that impede their progress towards success. Participants can pursue careers in Clinical Medical Assisting, Child Development, or Construction.
Our mission addresses two critical issues: the lack of upwardly-mobile employment opportunities for young adults in low-income neighborhoods and the shortage of skilled workers for middle-skill jobs in Orange County. By connecting motivated young adults with employers in need of reliable talent, we enhance the well-being of individuals and their communities, paving the way to living-wage employment, self-sufficiency, and a brighter future.

According to a 2018 analysis by Deloitte, Hope Builders’ graduates contribute more than $1 million annually back to Orange County through taxes and a reduction in reliance on public benefits. Last fiscal year, Hope Builders enrolled 334 young adults. 234 young adults successfully completed training with the skills and support needed to launch their careers. 161 graduates were placed in employment with an average starting salary of $42,500. Additionally, throughout the last year, Hope Builders has continued to refine and grow its social enterprise, an alternative staffing agency. Launched in 2017 to help local employers vet and source reliable, skilled employees, Hope Builders Career Connections (HBCC)—the agency’s staffing agency—places graduates through temp-to-hire and direct placement contracts. It partners with companies that offer competitive salaries, opportunities for advancement, reliable scheduling and safe work environments. Staff supports graduate retention with 6 months of follow-up services to both employers and candidates to address potential barriers to successfully remaining employed. Last year, HBCC generated more than $1.7mil in revenue, a 46% increase from the previous year.

Nearly 30,000 Orange County young adults are disconnected from the workforce and educational opportunities; Hope Builders has laid out a three-year plan to scale its programs, enabling it to connect more young adults to career opportunities. Related to this effort, Hope Builders’ most pressing needs include financial support to: 1) expand its social enterprise to place more young adults into employment; 2) strengthen its ability to provide high quality training to support increased enrollment; and 3) broaden its outreach and admissions efforts to facilitate expanded enrollment goals.

Hope Builders serves Orange County, CA

Hope Builders provides a pathway to prosperity for young adults from low income neighborhoods. Through innovative programs and an entrepreneurial approach, Hope Builders provides a talent pipeline of workforce ready candidates to employers offering jobs with upward mobility. Across our county and nation, communities are grappling with broken systems that have widened the opportunity gap for young people. A recent Orange County Business Council report showed that 45% of HR managers reported difficulty finding qualified candidates, naming “lack of skills” as the primary reason. Where some see doom and gloom, Hope Builders see opportunity. At Hope Builders, we know how to bridge the labor market chasm by building skills and productive behaviors that open-up access to stable careers. We understand the needs of vital essential industries – Construction and Healthcare – and partner with employers to meet their needs. We overcome systemic barriers that impede a young person from reaching their full potential and future prosperity. Hope Builders is stepping up to the increased challenges we face by committing to increase the number of young people it places into career jobs and double the number of young people it serves over the next three years. With strong outcomes to date, Hope Builders is well-positioned to grow its impact with your support.