Scholarship Program Trains Workers for Industry Careers
by Andrea Mongler
Since 2015, the Workforce Training Scholarship Program has helped prepare local job seekers for careers in industry. Created with funding from Sasol, partners including the Alliance, Calcasieu Parish Library, American Jobs Center, SWLA Construction Users Council, SOWELA and the ABC School worked with the Community Foundation to develop this unique approach to workforce development: tuition assistance, mentorship and career counseling. “It’s a holistic approach,” says Sara Judson, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Whenever a new student meets with the mentor and career counselor, they begin to learn about that student — what barriers they face in completing their training and what may be challenging for them in their new career.” The Workforce Training Scholarship Program specifically targets residents who are unemployed or underemployed. Participants enroll in certification and degree programs through SOWELA Technical Community College and the Associated Builders and Contractors Mentor Randy Johnson Training Center in Westlake. (R) with Eric Davis All program participants receive a scholarship; amounts vary by program and by the needs of the recipient. Students can train to become welders, millwrights, pipefitters, instrumentation specialists and more. Each program participant is also paired with a mentor, who doesn’t necessarily work in the career field the student is pursuing. Rather, the mentor’s role is to help the student with life skills and provide guidance, encouragement, motivation and advice. Career counseling is provided by Carheel Consulting, a workforce development solutions firm based in Westlake. Specifically, career counselors offer program participants advice and assistance during the job search and interview processes. Sasol is the primary funder of the Workforce Training Scholarship Program, and financial support is also provided by Lake Charles LNG and some individual donors. More than 170 students have participated in the program to date. “The number of success stories and the impact of this program’s holistic approach on the people who participate in it but also their families is just tremendous,” Judson says. “It’s not only about changing the life of one person. We have seen so many examples where it positively impacts their family and ultimately their Sign up for SOWELA Summer Camps and give employer and the whole community.”
EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES!
kids the chance to learn about different careers.
For more information about participating in the Workforce Training Scholarship Program as a student or mentor, visit www.foundationswla.org/workforce-readiness-training.
sowela.edu/summer-camps
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