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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