Roca’s TRANSITIONAL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (TEP) uses real work to teach young people how to show up, follow instruction, and learn skills critical to succeed in the open labor market. Roca operates work crews – contracted through local governments, housing authorities and private companies – in custodial work, property maintenance, painting, and landscaping.

Under the direct supervision and coaching of a working Crew Supervisor, transitional employees receive real pay (MA minimum wage) for real work. Participants work four days per week and engage in other required training on the fifth day.

Participants are assigned to a 5-person work crew, with one crew supervisor, that works on state, city and private maintenance and cleaning contracts in the region, including, outdoor cleanups, construction site cleanup and other custodial tasks that can be completed in large groups. All participants holding basic assignment work slots are paid minimum wage for four (4) workdays per week. Each workday has an actual work time of 6.5 hours not including lunch and transportation to and from the work site. Participants also engage in a “development day” one (1) day per week, focusing on hard and soft skill development.

While most participants spend 90 days in basic transitional employment before moving on to advanced transitional employment, TEP participants who are more prepared for employment can skip the basic transitional employment component and move immediately on to more advanced program elements.

Advanced Transitional Employment (ATE) are individual and/or work crew placements in businesses and other organizations. Participants are paid a minimum of $1 above the current MA minimum wage / hour for 32-40 hours per week. The work content the crews perform provides them the opportunity to gain higher level work skills through more advanced projects including construction, landscape installation, and apartment turnovers.

Roca, through our Bridge to Success (B2S) program, works with employer partners to have our young people work directly under their supervision with Roca’s available for support. The goal is for the employer partner to hire the young person at the end of the assignment.