BICSI elected to 2001 Associations Advance America Honor Roll

July 2, 2001 BICSI (www.bicsi.org) has been elected to the 2001 Associations Advance America Honor Roll, a national awards competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Washington, D.C.

BICSI received the award for its partnership with Hillsborough Community College (HCC) in the "Pulling For Progress" program. In 1999, communities across the nation were taking steps to reduce welfare roles. At the same time, telecommunications companies were having difficulty finding and keeping qualified installers. BICSI and HCC, together with local social service agencies and business leaders, created a program that combined BICSI's classroom and hands-on installation training with on-the-job mentoring and employment preparation skills.

"Pulling For Progress" was developed as a community-based program to provide immediate impact for non-custodial parents on welfare. To date, 133 students have successfully completed the program, enabling them to find jobs and be better providers for more than 400 children and 200 additional household members.