HCC
Partners for Jobs Hosts Job Training Fests
More and more we are hearing how important
post-secondary education is becoming. It is important to retrain
unemployed and underemployed workers who have lost stable incomes in the
current economic environment. It is also important to train young people
who are looking to join the competitive workplace of the future. The
vast majority of jobs require some training or college degree today and
the trend will only increase. The federal government has acknowledged
the vital role of community colleges in the education of today’s
workers by providing the necessary training for jobs and in securing a
stable economy.
As important as education is, it is equally important
that the public is aware of the kinds of jobs that are in demand and
that the training to qualify for those jobs is available and easily
accessible. Houston Community College has teamed up once again with
community leaders, Houston-area employers and organizations to form the
HCC Partners for Jobs and create an awareness campaign designed to
inform the residents of the greater Houston area about the exciting
training and educational opportunities at HCC. Partners in the campaign
include the City of Houston, Houston Public Library, Greater Houston
Partnership, Houston Chronicle, Comcast Cable, MITTONMedia, HR Houston,
Houston JOBS.com, Jobs Ministry Southwest, WeCAN Works, Workforce
Solutions, CWA Local 6222 and Job Expert Rick Gillis.
This year’s awareness campaign kickoff, a Job
Training Fest media day, was held at the HCC Northeast Campus Learning
Hub on Monday, June 24. Northeast President Dr. Margaret Ford Fisher
welcomed the community members, business leaders and members of the
media to the event. The remainder of the program included remarks by Dr.
Mary S. Spangler, HCC Chancellor; Mr. Bruce Austin, HCC Board
Trustee-District II; Councilman Jarvis Johnson, City of Houston -
District B; Mr. Richard Shaw, Workforce Solutions; and Mr. Jack Sweeney,
Publisher - Houston Chronicle.
Dr. Spangler explained why the awareness campaign is
essential to the greater Houston area, “As Houston and the rest of the
nation are trying to recover from an uncertain economy many people have
to look at retraining as the key to reinventing themselves as a strategy
to re-enter the job market for new or better employment options. We want
those who have lost jobs, new to the job market or just want to change
careers to know the training they need and want is available at HCC.”
The Job Training Fest held at HCC Northeast was the
first of a series of fests to be held at each of HCC’s six colleges.
Accessible to Houston-area neighborhoods, the Job Training Fests will
provide information and counseling on training, retraining and financial
aid resources. Workforce Solutions will present workshops on “Rebranding
Your Skills,” and job expert Rick Gillis will offer some insights into
how to prepare for a job search. These workshops are designed to help
individuals learn how to search for jobs, write resumes, interview,
network and assess existing job skills.
About HCC
HCC is one of the country’s largest
singularly-accredited, open-admission, community colleges offering
associate degrees, certificates, workforce training and lifelong
learning opportunities for 70,000 students each semester. HCC is
composed of six colleges that serve the greater Houston area’s diverse
communities by preparing individuals to live and work in today’s
increasingly international and technological society. To learn more go
to hccs.edu.
