Workforce Development Centers to offer language classes, training for health care jobs
The Cultural & Linguistic Workforce Development Centers, a joint venture between St. Luke’s University Health Network and the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley, has been designed to assist workers at any stage in their career path to train for and access employment opportunities. The centers will be offering English classes, General Education Development (GED) and specialized training in a number of health care positions starting this fall.
The centers will operate at Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley in South Side Bethlehem and SLUHN’s Sacred Heart Campus in Center City Allentown. Services will be offered to program participants in collaboration with Lehigh Carbon Community College, Northampton Community College, and The Literacy Center. Additionally, Workforce Board Lehigh Valley is co-located at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart site and participants can be referred as needed.
Participants will work with bilingual, Spanish and English, workforce development coordinators to identify career goals and barriers to employment. Participants will create individualized action plans to complete English as a Second Language and/ or GED programs through community partner organizations. Starting this fall, participants also can enroll in programs that could lead to jobs as phlebotomist, nurse’s aide, dental assistant, emergency medical technician, community health worker, EKG technician and pharmacy technician.
Classes will be held at sites in Bethlehem and Allentown. The Bethlehem classes will be held at NCC, while classes in Allentown will be held at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus, LCCC and The Literacy Center.
The program is funded by a $450,000 grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development. Participants must meet Community Development Block Grant eligibility requirements. There will be a small fee for the trainings which can be paid in full or through a payment plan.
Anyone interested in participating can fill out a survey at redcap.slhn.org/ surveys/?s=XEYCNPR3MAX9KDME or contact the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley at 610-868-7800, ext. 225 or hclvinfo@hclv.org or St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus in Allentown, 484-6584603 or community.health@sluhn.org.