Laredo Times

City of Laredo issued the following announcement on July 27.

The purpose of this initiative is to provide workforce skills training to individuals that have been laid-off, furloughed or underemployed due to the pandemic. Ultimately, the training provided is intended as a pathway for participants to regain meaningful employment.

The City of Laredo is footing the bill for the program with allocated Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding intended to provide economic assistance through small business grants and loans, worker retraining and workforce development. These funds are only available for use until December 31, 2020.

Laredo College will receive $700,000 that will go toward 18 identified programs and certifications offered through the Laredo College Continuing Education Department and the Laredo College Economic Development Center. These include Truck Driving, Real Estate Sales Agent, Child Development, QuickBooks Certification, Bookkeeping/Payroll Certification, CompTIA Fundamentals, Certified Forklift Operator and Certified Office Manager, among others. Most of these courses will be offered online. Some programs require participants to have a high school diploma/GED.

Approximately 500 people will acquire a new set of skills and job preparation through these free courses. The program will work on a first-come, first-served basis until all the available funding is exhausted. To qualify, participants must self-attest that their employment was impacted by COVID-19, and they must be willing and able to actively look for work upon completing the training.

This partnership would not have been possible without the leadership of Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz and Laredo College President Dr. Ricardo J. Solis.

“During these very trying and uncertain times, the City has reached out to institutions of higher learning to organize a way to provide free essential workforce training for our residents who have been economically affected due to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Mayor Pete Saenz. “We are looking out for our citizens and we firmly believe these new free classes from LC will provide Laredoans with opportunities to embark on great local careers.”

“We are grateful to our great partners from the City of Laredo for thinking of Laredo College as the place to retrain our community and get them back to work as soon as possible,” Dr. Solis added. “Laredo College’s hallmark has always been its short-term, specialized programs and certifications in high-demand fields. Our hope is that these new skills will facilitate the reintegration into the workforce and allow participants to attain financial security once again.”

City of Laredo Economic Development Director Teclo Garcia and Councilwoman Nelly Vielma were also key players in successfully bringing this partnership to fruition.

Spearheading the implementation of this initiative is Laredo College Dean of Community Education Sandra Cortez, who will oversee the application process and registration for the different programs.

“We are very proud to be in partnership with the City of Laredo, in offering industry-recognized programs that will provide the community opportunities to re-enter the workforce with high-demand skills. We look forward to being part of this important initiative.”

For additional information, questions or concerns regarding the courses or eligibility, call (956) 721-5374, (956) 764-5986 and (956) 794-4520 or send an email to CE_Staff@laredo.edu. You can also visit www.laredo.edu for future program updates. 

Original source can be found here.