San Diego’s Father Joe’s Villages reports a sharp rise in job training completions through its Gene Burkard Employment and Education Services program, which helps people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity re-enter the workforce, CBS 8 reported last week.

Father Joe’s Villages is one of Southern California’s largest and most well-known homeless services organizations, based in San Diego, California. Founded in 1950 by Father Joe Carroll, a Catholic priest known for his hands-on approach to addressing homelessness, the organization provides a comprehensive network of housing, healthcare, job training, and social services for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing housing. Its mission is to help individuals and families “end homelessness one life at a time.”

“We've seen a significant increase — about 38 percent — in completion of our job training programs compared to last year," said Chief Client Services Officer Jesse Casement. "And it's not just in our retail training program, it's in our training programs across the board. We believe what's driving that is really just our clients feeling inspired and really motivated to go out there and get income so that they can quickly end their housing crisis.”

CBS writes that the nonprofit offers several training paths, including retail, culinary arts, maintenance and facilities mentorship, forklift certification, and a relaunched “Restart Property Management” program.

“Our employment and education services team is made up of instructors and also employment specialists, and their job is to connect with employers out in the community that are excited to hire people that are working with us at Father Joe's Villages," Casement said.

As San Diego continues to face a homelessness crisis, Father Joe’s job training programs remain a key step toward helping individuals rebuild stability and secure long-term housing.