The United Training and Employment Center, Inc. (UTEC) is a 501(c)(3) Career Development, School Referral and Job Placement agency that is staffed by seasoned professional counselors. UTEC’s Founder and President is Clayton A. Roberts, a U.S. Air Force Korean War Veteran. The original UTEC mission and vision was to provide job skills, training and support for retirees, those discharged from the Armed Services and those who seem to be inextricably tied to the public benefits system, for various socioeconomic reasons, including not actively seeking gainful employment. This mission has been expanded to include job skills training for senior citizens, and a powerful alternative to the criminal activity that plague our cities, which enhances the likelihood that this program can be successfully replicated in other jurisdictions.
UTEC looks forward to the opportunity to introduce its training model to the various Departments of Corrections (Parole & Probation) and Human Services (Social Services), as well as the many Senior Citizens Group in jurisdictions nationwide. Our plan is to accept referrals of potential students from these organizations to be interviewed, evaluated and sometimes tested by our counselors before being enrolled in a job skills facility. This process is designed to ensure the best chances for successfully completing the program.
During the enrollment process, each potential student is processed to receive a federal grant to pay his or her full tuition for the classes. With the extensive curriculum offered by our many participating school facilities, UTEC represents a new and improved extension of service toward the future of these municipalities that can readily be applied, internally and externally, either as a core requirement or as a “pilot project” leading to a mandatory stipulation by these Departments.
For example, the Washington metropolitan area has a growing number of retirees or senior citizens. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), a number of these citizens (including many so-called “Aging Boomers”) do not want to be retired. In fact, they find retirement to be a very difficult and uncomfortable way of life that decreases independence and leads to feelings of uselessness. A great number of these seniors would welcome the opportunity to learn a new skill so they can return to productive, professional pursuits.
The UTEC program for seniors also would forge alliances with other senior-based organizations that seek to promote aging with dignity and purpose. For example, the AARP Foundation has access to referrals sources through programs like the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). The SCSEP provides opportunities for eligible people age 55 and over to obtain new job knowledge, enhance their skills and feel confident in their new found abilities. The goal of the program is for enrollees to gain the skills they need to find and sustained employment in the workforce.
Because of its rich heritage, broad ethnic and cultural bases, the UTEC model is well suited to the Washington metropolitan area and later for replication in other jurisdictions across the United States. We are expecting potential students to be referred to UTEC by the Department of Human Services and the Department of Corrections on a rolling basis, as well as other social service agencies supported by the D.C. Office on Aging.
For More Information:
Clayton A. Roberts, Sr.
USAF Korean War Veteran
Email: uteccr@verizon.net
Contact no. 202 747-4244
Cell Phone no. 301 257-5759
Email: uteccr@verizon.net