Financial instability leaves under-resourced individuals and people who have experienced trauma vulnerable. Often, economic empowerment services that lead to real security are lacking in other programs.
PTI fills a gap in the sector by providing economic empowerment services that support individuals in achieving greater financial security while being respectful and responsive to the unique needs of people who are under-resourced or who have experienced trauma.
What we do
CAREER COUNSELING
Career counselors begin working with clients during STEP and support clients throughout their entire journey in the PTI program. Career counselors help clients discover their skills and passions, explore career options, refine their personalized visions, and create focused plans for how to achieve their goals. Our career counseling team encourages and coaches clients as they implement their career plans, and provide consistent emotional support throughout the process. We tailor our services to ensure that each individual has the support they need to achieve their goals.
“My life has totally changed and I can now stand on my own and fight for those who have been abused.”
––––––––– KAYLA – PROGRAM PARTICIPANT
EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
Access to further education is often required for many of our clients to achieve their career goals. We give a variety of educational scholarships – including elementary, high school, vocational, and college scholarships. We provide academic tutoring for our clients studying toward their high-school equivalency exam, helping them earn their high school diploma. We also offer to tutor clients in communication skills, English, Filipino, Math, and Science.
SKILLS TRAINING AND EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM (STEP)
STEP is the foundation and entry point for all PTI clients. It is a three-month training program anchored on three key components: career goal development, psycho-social education, and soft skills training relevant to workplace success. Our career counselors work individually with clients to guide them in developing their goals and to support them in their action steps towards economic empowerment. Psycho-social education sessions are weaved in the program to raise awareness and provide information on available resources promoting good health, safety, and positive well-being. Our soft skills curriculum is developed based on researches and consultations with clients, staff, and local employers to ensure that our clients are positioned for success.
WORK IMMERSION
We provide practical, hands-on, lived experience for clients in a simulated workplace setting to build further job readiness. This allows our clients to gain valuable work experience, skills, and receive career mentorship in a supportive workplace environment. Additionally, this provides a safety net for our most vulnerable clients while they are in school and during emergency situations.
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
Education and skills training alone does not guarantee career success – access to the right networks is also needed. We conduct outreach to a wide range of employers in the local community and research hiring needs in industries of interest to our clients. We make connections between our clients and prospective employers, referring clients for jobs in their vocations of choice. We mentor clients in applying and interviewing for jobs, providing support in areas such as resume building and interview preparation.
“For people like me, nobody would knock at our doorstep and offer help but you did. You made a big difference in my life.”
––––––––– DORRIE – PROGRAM PARTICIPANT
CLIENT DIGNITY
Client dignity is at the core of everything we do. In our view, the spirit in which we work is just as important as the program itself. Core principles — such as respect for client autonomy, partnership, empathy, and commitment to learning and excellence — guide us in all that we do. We listen to our clients and partner with them as they achieve their goals for their own lives. We continually learn about how to strengthen our work and to share these findings with others; doing so is part of our commitment to ensuring that our programs truly serve our clients well.