Project Period

October 1, 1992 through September 30, 1995

Project Summary

Project JUMP was a three-year demonstration project funded through the Department of Health and Human Services, Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals Program. The purpose of the project was to support a collaborative effort among economic development and education and job training organizations to provide economic development financing and customized skills training that created employment/self-employment opportunities for 73 AFDC/JOBS (unemployed parents) participants in York County. The project design included a three-pronged strategy that:

1. provided loans to small businesses that created employment and/or self-employment with a loan pool of JOLI/CEI/ bank funds of $2.8 million;
   
2. created opportunities for jobs and placement from CEI's SBA 504 finance program; and
3. provided access to job opportunities resulting from CEI economic development networks. Key components included: customized skills training, work force literacy training, workplace literacy training, entrepreneurship training, small business counseling, technical assistance, and support services.

Scope

The project provided opportunities for 73 AFDC residents of York County. Collaborative organizations included: Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Maine Department of Human Services, Displaced Homemakers Program, and York County Work Force Development Center (JTPA).

End of Project Results/Outcome

The project served 73 participants, of which 50 reached economic self-sufficiency as a result of employment/self-employment activity. At project completion, 39 participants were employed and 14 self-employed. Fifty (50) participants were no longer eligible for AFDC (now called TANF) and 39 no longer eligible for Food Stamps. At project completion, participant wages averaged $7.50 to $8.00 per hour.

Eleven job-generating businesses received financing and expected to create 141 new jobs over a three to five-year period with 105 targeted for JOLII eligible people. All project participating businesses provided full/time full/year employment; fringe benefits, including health care coverage; minimum entry-level wages of $6.50 per hour; wage progression; and opportunity for upward mobility.

Evaluation

An outside evaluation of the project was conducted by the University of Maine's Margaret Chase Smith Center for Public Policy.

Funding

$500,000 JOLI grant through the Department of Health and Human Services leveraged with $2.8 million of CEI, bank, state and other funds.