"Hispanics and the workplace will be the focus of a national forum in New York in June that will spotlight new trends in workforce diversity, and the evolving role of today’s colleges and universities in cutting-edge career development initiatives.
Colleges and universities are shifting their focus from the classroom to the community to reach more students and non-students alike in efforts to help a demographically more diverse labor force survive and thrive in today’s fast-changing workplace.
At the forefront are campuses that serve the country’s youngest, largest and fastest-growing ethnic population. These federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions, or HSIs, serve the largest concentrations of Hispanic higher education students in every major state and Puerto Rico. They also serve the larger Hispanic community, which suffers historically low high school and college completion rates.
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), as the only nationally organized voice for HSIs, is leading efforts to actively involve more HSIs in college and career development activities in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOL/ETA).
HACU and DOL/ETA will co-host a two-day national forum June 10-11 at Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College of the City University of New York, a HACU member HSI, inviting colleges, universities, community organizations and local, state and federal agencies to spotlight new and evolving trends in workforce development.
The role of these HSIs has become especially critical at a time when one of every three new workers joining the labor force today is Hispanic. In response, HSIs are becoming partners with community and government organizations designed to provide new skills and training programs, and open more doors to career opportunities.
These initiatives range from helping out-of-work high school dropouts get jobs and diplomas, to housing new “one-stop” career centers that provide job and training support to anyone who is unemployed, under-employed, or employed but seeking to advance or change careers.
At Hostos Community College in The Bronx, the forum, “HSI Corridors: Expanding Pathways to Careers in the 21st Century,” will be the third such gathering in the past few months following earlier forums in Arizona and California that have attracted the attention of the public and national policy makers to such initiatives.
“Hostos Community College itself is the site of very successful programs that are actively involving the campus and larger community in efforts to make college and career success a reality for hundreds of New Yorkers of every age, education level and ethnic background,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “We are delighted that Hostos Community College will be the venue for this important forum.”
Workshops and plenary sessions will feature workforce development experts from throughout the country who will describe innovative jobs programs and training initiatives in their communities, especially as they relate to efforts to boost Hispanic education and employment levels.
A key focus will be on the Workforce Investment Act, which in 1998 effectively dismantled pre-existing jobs programs such as the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) to lay the groundwork for One-Stop Centers and other community-driven initiatives. The Act was designed to establish a nationwide system that would allow anyone who is unemployed or employed to find free help at centralized locations, rather than navigating the earlier maze of dozens of separate programs related to employment and education.
HACU represents more than 318 member and partner colleges and universities serving more than two-thirds of all Hispanic higher education students in the United States.
For more information or registration materials, contact HACU’s Office of Program Collaboratives at (210) 692-3805. Ext. 3222. Or visit www.hacu.net."
Colleges and universities are shifting their focus from the classroom to the community to reach more students and non-students alike in efforts to help a demographically more diverse labor force survive and thrive in today’s fast-changing workplace.
At the forefront are campuses that serve the country’s youngest, largest and fastest-growing ethnic population. These federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions, or HSIs, serve the largest concentrations of Hispanic higher education students in every major state and Puerto Rico. They also serve the larger Hispanic community, which suffers historically low high school and college completion rates.
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), as the only nationally organized voice for HSIs, is leading efforts to actively involve more HSIs in college and career development activities in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOL/ETA).
HACU and DOL/ETA will co-host a two-day national forum June 10-11 at Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College of the City University of New York, a HACU member HSI, inviting colleges, universities, community organizations and local, state and federal agencies to spotlight new and evolving trends in workforce development.
The role of these HSIs has become especially critical at a time when one of every three new workers joining the labor force today is Hispanic. In response, HSIs are becoming partners with community and government organizations designed to provide new skills and training programs, and open more doors to career opportunities.
These initiatives range from helping out-of-work high school dropouts get jobs and diplomas, to housing new “one-stop” career centers that provide job and training support to anyone who is unemployed, under-employed, or employed but seeking to advance or change careers.
At Hostos Community College in The Bronx, the forum, “HSI Corridors: Expanding Pathways to Careers in the 21st Century,” will be the third such gathering in the past few months following earlier forums in Arizona and California that have attracted the attention of the public and national policy makers to such initiatives.
“Hostos Community College itself is the site of very successful programs that are actively involving the campus and larger community in efforts to make college and career success a reality for hundreds of New Yorkers of every age, education level and ethnic background,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “We are delighted that Hostos Community College will be the venue for this important forum.”
Workshops and plenary sessions will feature workforce development experts from throughout the country who will describe innovative jobs programs and training initiatives in their communities, especially as they relate to efforts to boost Hispanic education and employment levels.
A key focus will be on the Workforce Investment Act, which in 1998 effectively dismantled pre-existing jobs programs such as the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) to lay the groundwork for One-Stop Centers and other community-driven initiatives. The Act was designed to establish a nationwide system that would allow anyone who is unemployed or employed to find free help at centralized locations, rather than navigating the earlier maze of dozens of separate programs related to employment and education.
HACU represents more than 318 member and partner colleges and universities serving more than two-thirds of all Hispanic higher education students in the United States.
For more information or registration materials, contact HACU’s Office of Program Collaboratives at (210) 692-3805. Ext. 3222. Or visit www.hacu.net."