

		The mission of CET, an economic and community development corporation, is to promote human development and education by providing people with marketable skills, training and supportive services that contribute to self sufficiency.

About CET

The Center for Employment Training (CET) is one of the country's largest, most effective educational, and employment training programs, focused on those who need help the most. A nonprofit organization, CET was established in San Jose, California in 1967 and has grown to a national network of 31 vocational educational centers operating in 11 states, and Washington D.C. Working with the private sector, CET has successfully trained and placed more than 100,000 people into jobs, over the last 37 years.

CET Students train 5 days a week, 6 to 7 hours day, at their own pace, attending skills and job training until they pass competency levels of a minimum 70% in a given skill. They are trained by instructors who have extensive private sector industry experience, whereby they provide instruction and work-place simulated supervision, to best prepare students for long term job placement. Instructors work in teams to provide a contextual learning environment for each student.

CET, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has received funding support from two primary sources: over 50% from local, state, and federal government and the remainder from the private sector.

CET provides a host of support services, including community support from the Industrial Advisory Board (IAB), and a Technical Advisory committee for each Occupational Skill offered at CET

CET serves low-income, disadvantaged persons of all backgrounds. Students include males and females from 17 1/2 years of age to older workers in their 60's.

Over 50% of CET participants are school dropouts. Approximately 50% are limited or non-English speakers. Hispanics are the largest ethnic group served in California most of whom are farm workers or dependents of farm workers.

The "majority" of student-type at a particular center depends on the specific community where a center is located. Many east coast sites are dominated by African American participants, a great majority being women on welfare. A very large percentage of the Hispanic population are immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries. Northern California CET centers serves a large Asian population.

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