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In 1989, Vu-Lin
enrolled in an adult center and fled to a woman’s shelter with her three
children. When she entered classes, she was illiterate in both Cambodian and
English. Since then, she has supported herself and her children, often working
seven days a week at a container plant, while keeping up her studies. Remarried
in 1996, she told her future husband: “I’m studying and I
don’t have much time to spend with him. He said he would stand by me 100
percent and supported me through all of these times. So he did.”
Summary of Employment
The findings
regarding participants’ employment are divided into three sections. The
first addresses participants who were receiving some form of assistance prior
to ABLE enrollment. The second contrasts job status prior to ABLE enrollment
with current employment levels. The final section summarizes findings related
to employment selection and future career plans.
PARTICIPANTS RECEIVING ASSISTANCE
Prior to ABLE
enrollment:
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Forty-eight
percent of the study sample were receiving some form of
assistance.
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Fifty-three
percent of participants on assistance were single mothers.
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Twenty-two
percent of participants on assistance had a past record of drug or alcohol
abuse.
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Five of the
seven men on assistance had prior physical disabilities.
Current
assistance status:
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Fifty-three
percent of all participants formerly on assistance are now
self-sufficient.
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Eighty-one
percent of self-sufficient participants attended college or advanced training
courses and four completed degrees.
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Sixty-one
percent of female participants selected helping careers as contrasted with 24
percent of male participants.
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Fifty
percent of male participants remained in their jobs or changed to similar
positions; 60 percent of these received promotions or pay
increases.
PARTICIPANTS’ GENERAL EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employment
conditions prior to ABLE enrollment:
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Twenty-nine
percent of the study sample were homemakers or unemployed.
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Ninety-six
percent of employed participants were working at manual labor or entry level
service jobs.
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Unexpected
adversity was a key factor in 23 participants’ decisions to change their
employment status.
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The
remaining 47 participants opted for intentional change.
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