FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE:            August 17, 2018­

CONTACT:    Mike Gonzalez

PHONE:         956.332.9741

E-MAIL:         mikeg@wfsolutions.org

Workforce Solutions JOBS Program Gives Juveniles a Fresh Start

Graduating Cadets Gain Valuable Skills, Experience, and Employment

Weslaco, TX – The Mario E. Ramirez Juvenile Justice Center graduated four cadets who participated in the Juvenile Opportunity for Better Skills (JOBS) program today. A collaboration between Workforce Solutions and the Judge Mario E. Ramirez Juvenile Justice Center, the JOBS program is designed to help youth ages 16-18 and engage them in a positive work environment to help make their transition into the workforce as seamless as possible.

The program provides a platform for juvenile cadets to use the soft skills they learned through Workforce Solutions Job Readiness Training. The youth received 12 hours of soft skills training in Workplace Etiquette, Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution, Interview Skills, Coping with Stress, and Financial Literacy and Time Management to better prepare them for success in the workplace.

The students have been placed in employment and are currently participating in the Workforce Solutions work experience program. Workforce Solutions would like to thank Judge Mario E. Ramirez, Jr., 332nd State District Court, Judge Renee Rodriguez-Betancourt, 449th State District Court Judge Israel Ramon, Jr., 430th State District Court, and Judge Keno Vasquez, 398th State District Court, for their support and outstanding commitment to helping positively shape the lives of our juvenile youth.

Workforce Solutions serves as the governing body for the workforce development area that includes Hidalgo, Willacy, and Starr counties. The primary goal of the WFS Board is to respond to the needs of local employers and workers through locally designed demand-driven workforce development initiatives. The JOBS Program, federally funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), takes that goal and applies it to youth gearing up to enter the workforce.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE:           May 7, 2018­

CONTACT:    Mike Gonzalez

PHONE:         956.332.9741

E-MAIL:         mikeg@wfsolutions.org

Workforce Solutions Awarded $81,076 Texas Talent Connection Grant

Funding Will Provide Valuable Internship Opportunities to High School Seniors

McAllen, TX – On Friday, April 27, 2018, Workforce Solutions (WFS) Board Chair, Jaime Ortiz, accepted a grant in the amount of $81,076 from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) in Austin, Texas. The Texas Talent Connection grant was awarded to the Lower Rio Grande Valley Board to fund valuable internship opportunities for high school seniors interested in gaining work experience in high-demand STEM occupations. Additionally, participants will earn third party industry recognized certification prior to graduation from high school, further priming them for success in their respective fields.

“The opportunity to provide youth with the experience that employers demand is one that we sought out, and with the Texas Talent Connection Grant, our organization can now deliver a wonderful contribution to our community,” said Ortiz. “There are industries in the RGV that have a need for qualified employees, and with this funding, we’ll be able to help students get that on-the-job work experience and certification they need to start life after high school on the right foot while also cultivating our local economy.”

The Texas Workforce Investment Council, on behalf of the Office of Governor Greg Abbot, issued a call for grant applications to develop and implement new internship opportunities that provide work experiences that prepare high school and community and technical college (CTC) students for employment in high-demand middle-skill STEM occupations in the state. WFS identified the demand/target occupations for our region (which included Computer Network Support Specialists, Computer User Support Specialists, and Automotive Service Technician Mechanics) that impact a couple of the largest industries in our region and proposed an internship program based around them.  

The program has a proposed timeline that aims to initiate student recruitment in mid-August. Participating community partners include Weslaco Independent School District (ISD), City of Weslaco, Mission ISD, Mission Economic Development Corporation, Lyford ISD, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, and HM3 Engineering.

Workforce Solutions serves as the governing body for the workforce development area that includes Hidalgo, Willacy, and Starr counties. The primary goal of the WFS Board is to respond to the needs of local employers and workers through locally designed demand-driven workforce development initiatives.

From left to right: Ruth Hughs, Commissioner Representing Employers, Texas Workforce Commission, Jaime Ortiz, Chairman, Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley Workforce Development Board, Governor Greg Abbot

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