Consortium offers GED, job training classes

SOMERTON — Area residents lacking a high school degree and a job can get help landing full-time employment through a new education and vocational training program offered by the South Yuma County Adult Education Consortium.

Beginning Monday, the consortium will enroll qualified area residents in the program that begins with classes to help them earn their GED high school equivalency certificates.

Having earned high school equivalency, students will move on the second and third phases of the program for training for careers in health care and food preparation.

Funded by a grant from the Department of Labor, the program will be take on up to 30 students who are 18 or older, have an ninth-grade level of English proficiency but lack a high school diploma or GED certificate, and who are unemployed or work no more than 10 hours a week. Cost to students to enroll is $30.

GED classes are set to begin on Monday, but students will continue to be registered for the program over the following two weeks, said Javier Morales, outreach coordinator for the program.

GED classes will take place through March, after which students will receive their GED certificates. The second phase of the program begins April 4 for job training for careers as medical and nurses' assistance and for jobs in food handling and preparation. The third phase starts April 25 with courses in health services.

Following the courses in May, the consortium will help students with job placement services.

The consortium is offering the program in collaboration with the Somerton Elementary School District, Arizona Western College, Regional Centers for Border Health and the Yuma Private Industry Council.

Area residents wishing to enroll in the program should call the Somerton Elementary School District at 341-6714.