(San Juan, Puerto Rico – March 30, 2021) In the interest of improving the economic security and the quality of life of the residents of the communities they serve, Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico (BGCPR) creates EMPower, a workforce development program. The objective of the initiative is to provide training and opportunities for professional development, along with the social and soft skills necessary to search for and maintain jobs in the local labor market in the fields of hospitality, customer service, Java Development, IT and digital marketing.
EMPower seeks to impact unemployed, low-income young adults between the ages of 18-35 living in the communities surrounding the organization’ facilities. Community residents including family members of BGCPR and Vimenti participants, women, members of the LGBTT community, and individuals who meet Section 3 (HUD) criteria are encouraged to join the free workshops that will be offered in a hybrid format (face-to-face and virtual) during daytime hours.
“The workforce training program is an expansion of the employability project that Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico began in 2018 as part of the two-generation approach implemented by Vimenti to reduce systematic poverty through three programmatic areas: educational, social and economic. The program began by impacting the parents of the students of Vimenti School, located in the Ernesto Ramos Antonini Public Housing Complex and has been successful, reducing unemployment from 42% to 16% during the first year of implementation”, said Olga Ramos Carrasquillo, BGCPR president.
Likewise, Ramos Carrasquillo added “the program will impact 27 municipalities on the island through 8 Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico facilities and Vimenti, and will serve over 1,200 participants during its first years. For EMPower to be successful, a staff of over 35 professionals specializing in mentoring, placement, technology, English and administration is being recruited. During the first three years, funding comes from the Department of Housing under CDBG -DR ”.
EMPower opens its digital call through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico website: www.bgcpr.org. All eligible community residents Interested in applying are invited to submit
their information by accessing www.bgcpr.org/matricula, (VIMENTI link) in the Employability Program.
To contribute to the impact of thousands of children, youth and their families through BGCPR programs and services, visit donate.bgcpr.org, or make your donation through ATH Móvil using the pATH /BoysandGirlsClubsdePR. You can also access bgcpr.org or visit facebook.com/BGCPR for additional information.