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August 2009 issue
page 4 of 4 |
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SWWDC is working with community partners, including WorkSource, Vancouver Housing Authority, ESD112, Clark College, and the city of Vancouver, to implement the Weatherization Project, a program aimed at helping qualified Clark County low-income and dislocated workers get on-the-job training, employment, and advanced training in the emerging weatherization industry.
The program, a first in the region, is funded by federal stimulus dollars and will train up to 15 individuals. Rich Art, a local employer of weatherization specialists, has agreed to hire successful training completers to work on weatherizing the homes of low-income residents as part of its current contract with Clark County.
SWWDC will join Weatherization Project partners on Friday, August 21 at 10 a.m. at Skyline Crest Community Park to sign a “Declaration of Cooperation,” a document stating the partners’ intent and good faith in working together.
If you are interested in learning more about the Weatherization Project or attending the public signing event, please contact Megara Kastner, Project Coordinator at mkastner@vhausa.com.
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 Manlio Castillo Rios has been hired as SW Washington’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) coach. Based out of the WorkSource centers in Vancouver and Kelso in Washington, and St. Helens in Oregon, Manlio will provide intensive career counseling to laid-off workers and disadvantaged 16-24 year-old youth who want to pursue STEM education and training and secure employment in STEM-related jobs. He will also assist participants with identifying STEM education and training resources, and, in partnership with nConnect NW, link participants to mentors and other STEM professionals.
Manlio is one of three regional STEM coaches funded through the $2 million dollar Department of Labor STEM grant awarded to SWWDC, its Oregon counterparts WorkSystems Inc, Enterprise for Employment and Education, and Management and Training Corporation, and Vancouver-based nConnect NW. The goal of the national pilot program is to bring more people into careers in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Over the next three years, the three STEM coaches will serve nine counties in SW Washington and northern Oregon and work with more than 600 individuals.
Previously, Manlio was a mechanical engineer for both Hewlett Packard and Boeing. He holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He has been a mentor for nConnect NW and he speaks three languages fluently: English, Spanish, and Italian.
For more information, including program eligibility, visit your local WorkSource center or contact Manlio Castillo, at mcastillo@esd.wa.gov or 360.690.6654 or visit www.swwdc.org/stem.
Workforce Resource Guides now available
The SWWDC has published the Workforce Resource Guide for Job Seekers to provide information on organizations and programs aimed at helping individuals find education, training, and employment in Southwest Washington. More than three dozen organizations and programs are profiled in two guides, one for Clark County and one for Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties, along with contact information. The guides are intended to help service providers and job seekers alike identify resources to assist them with their career objectives. To download the guides, visit www.swwdc.org.
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