Local organizations bringing learning hub to area
The Hispanic Federation has partnered with Charter Communications to bring a digital learning hub that will serve low-income individuals in the Milwaukee area to SER Jobs for Progress.
The federation received a $30,000 Spectrum Digital Education Grant, which will offer 30 computers that are suitable for in-person, hybrid and remote learning at SER Jobs for Progress, located at 2514 S. 102nd St.
SER Jobs for Progress is a national organization with an affiliate in Milwaukee that focuses on employment services in diverse communities.
The computers will be used for courses that will teach digital skills for adults and will support the organization's workforce development initiatives, said Matthew Rojas, spokesman for the Hispanic Federation.
The learning hub will also include a lending library, which will allow participants to rent computer equipment, Rojas said.
The classes, which are open to the public and will be offered in Spanish, will be divided into different levels, from basic computer skills to résumé writing and job hunting, said Raul Santa, director of network relations at SER Jobs for Progress.
“Digital education is extremely important right now,” said Brent Wilkes, senior vice president of institutional development at the federation. “The pandemic has caused a lot of Latino families and Latinos to lose their workplace opportunities . ... We've seen the transition from jobs that don't require tech skills to jobs that do require tech skills and that trend has really accelerated this year.”
Those interested in signing up for classes can visit www.SER-National.org.
Jessica Rodriguez is a Report for America corps reporter who focuses on news of value to underserved communities for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a taxdeductible gift to this reporting effort at JSOnline.com/RFA.