Job Training Program Changes Lives

Hundreds of local adults and dislocated workers have benefited from job skill training, thanks to American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds associated with the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

These Group-Sized Training Programs are intensive, short-term courses in high-demand job skills. Participants learn new skills or upgrade their skills in order to become more competitive in the local labor market. Presented by Allan Hancock College and Santa Barbara City College in Santa Maria, Lompoc and Santa Barbara, the courses cover numerous fields—computer, medical, dental, labor—including hot specialties like electronic social marketing, electronic health records, and energy efficiency upgrade installation.

Initial offerings started in November 2009. All ARRA classes must be completed by June 30, 2011, by which time the WIA Program will have offered 19 classes serving well over 300 Adults and Dislocated Workers. 

Who benefited?

• Local business have access to more local employees with the right skills for today’s jobs.
• Local workers acquire new skills that lead to new employment.

For many in the WIA Program, participation in ARRA-funded classes has been an opportunity to change their lives:

• “Anna” wrote: “Thank you for the Workforce Resource Center and all the resources found there. Much more helpful than the Employment Agencies I signed up with! The Medical & Dental Front Office Assisting class was a blessing never to be forgotten. I graduated on July 31 and had a job offer on August 5 in the dental field, after ten long months of daily job searches… Thank you!”
• “Mark” came to WIA after being laid off as a building inspector. He completed ARRA-funded training in Energy Efficiency, which included Certificates in Industrial Math, Customer Service, and Weatherization. Subsequently he landed a job as a building official, issuing permits for both green and routine projects, at more than twice his old hourly wage. He is thankful for the training opportunity.
• “Ian” was laid off after 10 years in customer service. He completed the ARRA-funded Computer and Professional Employee Institute, and was offered full-time employment locally making 10% more than before.

We are pleased to have helped so many county residents to improve their skills and situation.

Weatherization class, donating a "green"-constructed storage shed to the Boys & Girls Club. Philamer Tambio-Yeh of DSS is in the yellow hat; WIB members Tim Harrington and Bob Manning are standing at left.