CEP staff has over fifteen years of successful experience in working with the new arriving refugees / immigrants from diverse ethnic families on public assistance living in Los Angeles County. Many of which include CalWORKs-U (2-Parent) families, who are very limited in their English-speaking skills. As a non-profit agency, CEP has been in business since April 1995 and has six (6) locations throughout the Southern California area. Currently, CEP has the language capability to speak 29 different languages. Over 80 percent of our current staff are former welfare recipients who have made the successful transition from welfare dependency to economic self-sufficiency. Subsequent to the current welfare reform, CEP was already utilizing a "Work-First" approach with this target population in that we assist them in finding a job while concurrently providing program-related services.

The Departments of Public Social Services, and Community/Senior Services has designated CEP to provide GAIN Case Management in accordance with all federal and state welfare reform laws. As a result, our agency is able to service many GAIN clients by providing the necessary and mandated services needed for their continued benefits as well as ensure their receipt of the guidance and mentoring that will support their obtaining economic self-sufficiency. CEP provides services as the GAIN Region 9 Service Center for the Non-English/Non-Spanish speaking individual.

CEP is an approved training center by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE) to offer training in English-as-a-Second Language, Pre-Employment Language Training and pending approval for Office Automation, Web Development, Customer Service, and Electronic Assembly skills training. CEP is also an affiliate to the California Charter Academy since 1999. It offers educational services for individuals wanting to obtain their High School diploma. CEP also administers a Mini-Career Center, funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Community and Senior Services. It provides core and intensive services to the Pomona area. The primary mission of the Mini-Career Center is to distribute information about available services under the Workforce Investment Act. The Center conducts orientations to individuals seeking information and assistance towards workforce entry.

CEP's strength is its capacity to communicate and provide services in different languages. This capacity is the key factor for CEP's successful outcomes. We find that our clients react and perform better when they are familiar with the environment. We enhance their experience within our agency with counselors from their native country who have walked the same paths that they have and had been fortunate to have succeeded. This factor remains throughout their program participation as a constant variable, which positively affects their overall performance. This results in a very positive program experience. CEP takes pride in its abilities to support any new-comer into this country in establishing a strong beginning.